Here & There, Then & Now — 20th Anniversary Exhibition & Book Release
April 25 – June 13, 2026
MXCL BNL LAB | 6545 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier, CA
Whittier, CA — The MexiCali Biennial celebrates its 20th anniversary with the release of its
landmark publication, MexiCali Biennial: Art, Actions, Exchanges Since 2006, and the exhibition
Here & There, Then & Now. Both events will take place April 25 through June 13, 2026, at the
MXCL BNL LAB in Whittier, California.
Produced in collaboration with the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the
Riverside Art Museum (The Cheech), the bilingual (English/Spanish) publication represents the
first comprehensive account of the MexiCali Biennial’s two decades of binational,
interdisciplinary programming along the California–Mexico border. The catalogue documents the
organization’s enduring commitment to cross-border dialogue, artistic experimentation, and the
visibility of underrepresented artists working across cultural and geographic boundaries.
Featuring more than 150 artists working in a wide range of media from experimental video and
conceptual installations to large-scale sculpture, social practice, and performance, the Biennial
has historically partnered with a range of institutions, including museums, galleries, private
homes, swap meets, and public sites. The publication includes scholarly essays from leading
experts in the field of border art as well as in-depth artist–curator dialogues, and extensive
image galleries that illuminate the evolution of each thematic cycle since 2006.
Contributors include Amy Sara Carroll, Amy Pederson Converse, JV Decemirale, Guillermo
Estrada, Alejandro Espinoza Galindo, Maria Esther Fernandez, Ed Gomez, Luis G.
Hernandez, April Lillard-Gomez, Emmanuel Ortega, Rubén Ortiz Torres, Rosalía Romero,
Sam Romo-White, Joaquin Segura, and Pilar Tompkins Rivas.
MexiCali Biennial: Art, Actions, Exchanges Since 2006 offers readers a compelling visual and
intellectual journey through ongoing conversations around identity, migration, resistance, and
creative activism. More than a catalogue, the book serves as a record of a transborder art
movement that continues to challenge and expand ideas of place, community, and artistic
exchange.
Anniversary Exhibition
Running concurrently with the book launch, Here & There, Then & Now presents selected works
from the MexiCali Biennial archives and reproduced projects offering audiences a rare
opportunity to encounter the history of the project through artworks, documentation, and archival
materials that trace its evolution across twenty years of collaborative production. The exhibition
includes works by eighteen MexiCali Biennial alumni, including Pablo Castañeda and Eduardo
Kintero, Carmina Escobar, Albert Lopez, Jr., Ruben Ochoa, Nancy Popp, Jessica Sevilla, and
Diane Williams.
Together, the publication and exhibition mark a significant milestone, highlighting the Biennial’s
role in shaping critical conversations around border culture and contemporary art practices in
the Californias and beyond. The publication is available for purchase online, at MXCL BNL LAB,
and at The Cheech.
Event Details
Exhibition & Book Launch:
Here & There, Then & Now — MexiCali Biennial 20th Anniversary Show & Book Release
April 25 – June 13, 2026
MXCL BNL LAB
6545 Greenleaf Ave., Whittier, CA
Open Saturdays noon – 5 p.m.
Presented by: MexiCali Biennial
In collaboration with: The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art
Museum
The project is made possible with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, California
Arts Council, and California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
About the MexiCali Biennial
Founded in 2006, the MexiCali Biennial is a binational arts initiative focused on artistic
production, research, and collaboration across the California–Mexico border region. Through
exhibitions, publications, and public programming, the organization supports interdisciplinary
practices that investigate questions of identity, migration, labor, and cultural exchange.
