The 2024 Chicago Lit & Luz Festival, Saturation/ Saturación, returns with a fantastic roster of writers and artists from the US and Mexico. The weeklong series of free events begins October 26th and concludes with the Live Magazine Show at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago on November 2nd.
Inspired by the media landscape of both presidential elections taking place in the countries this year, the theme of the festival is Saturation/Saturación. Participants will consider concepts such as intensity, combination, absorption, maximums and limitations as they respond to the urgent political, social, and environmental issues confronting both countries.
This year’s Collaboration Cohort—a carefully curated group of ten of the most innovative contemporary artists from Mexico and the US—includes Oaxaca-based author Clyo Mendoza, whose first novel Furia, was translated into English, Portuguese and Italian and won the Premio Amazon Primera Novela award; internationally renowned, self-taught artist, Mexico City-based artist Ana Gallardo, whose 2024 solo exhibition will travel between CA2M, Spain and MUAC, Mexico; Chicago-based artist Alberto Aguilar, recently recognized with the prestigious Latinx Artist Fellowship; Chicago author Diego Báez whose poetry collection Yaguareté White (University of Arizona, 2024) was a finalist for The Georgia Poetry Prize and a semi-finalist for the Berkshire Prize for Poetry; and more.
Participants are paired up to create multimedia, collaborative pieces which debut at the festival’s signature event—the Lit & Luz Live Magazine Show, presented in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago on November 2nd.
The Lit & Luz Festival is a one-of-a-kind series of events featuring renowned authors, visual artists, and musicians from Chicago and Mexico in cultural exchange and conversation. This series of readings, conversations, artist talks, and performances, including signature event, the Live Magazine Show, highlights new translations and artistic collaborations—showcasing some of the most innovative contemporary artists from both countries.
