Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón
Exhibition
Beth Lesser, Singer Gregory Isaacs in front of his record shop, African Museum, on Chancery Lane, Kingston, Jamaica, 1984. Digital print. Courtesy of the artist.
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
220 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL, 60611
Apr 14 - Sep 20, 2026
Aïda Bruyère at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: A French Voice in Dancing the Revolution
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presents Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Bad Bunny, a major exhibition exploring the visual, political, and spiritual histories of Caribbean popular music through contemporary art. Framing music and dance as revolutionary practices, the exhibition foregrounds their role in collective liberation and resistance rooted in histories of colonial oppression.
Dancehall and reggaetón emerge here not only as musical genres, but as cultural practices—powerful expressions of resistance and joy tied to the Black Atlantic’s long-standing traditions of dance and music as tools of protest and emancipation.
Among the more than 40 participating artists—including Isaac Julien, Edra Soto, Alberta Whittle, Carolina Caycedo, and Lee Scratch Perry— it feature French artist Aïda Bruyère . Her presence underscores the transnational circulation of dancehall culture and its vibrant resonance in Paris. Commissioned by the MCA, Bruyère’s work explores identity, performance, and the politics of representation, drawing on the aesthetics of nightlife, femininity, and subcultural codes. A specially commissioned mixtape by Juan Rivera further guides visitors through the evolution of reggaetón in Panama, linking its historical roots to its global influence today.
About the artist
Born in Dakar, Bruyère lives and works in Paris. A graduate of the Beaux-Arts de Paris (2020), she has presented her work at the Contemporaines de Nîmes (2024), Galerie Pact (Paris, 2023), and the Palais de Tokyo (2022), as well as in group exhibitions such as 100% L’Expo at La Villette (2022) and Sweet Harmony/Rave Today at the Saatchi Gallery (2019). In 2019, she received the Grand Prize at the Salon de Montrouge. Working across publishing, installation, performance, and video, Bruyère explores how identities—individual and collective—are constructed and performed in public space, with a particular focus on dance, feminine codes, and, more recently, makeup as a tool for emancipation.
Supported by Albertine Visual Arts (formely Etants Donnés), a program of Villa Albertine and Albertine Foundation.
In partnership with
Albertine Foundation
Albertine Foundation is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting French American relations through innovative cultural and educational programs.
In close partnership with Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, Albertine Foundation administers grant programs across diverse creative disciplines including visual and performing arts; cinema; and literature, while also supporting exploratory residencies for creative professionals and thinkers across the United States. Albertine Foundation also contributes to promoting French language learning in the United States and funds new opportunities for students, professors, and researchers in the spheres of secondary and higher education.
Albertine Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation by Internal Revenue Service determination. Contributions from corporate, foundation, and individuals are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.