Exhibition

Dancing the Revolution

ChicagoMuseum of Contemporary Art Chicago11 April 2026 - 20 September 2026

A man leans against large speakers next to a customized mobile record shack called "Swing A Ling," painted with music genres like Reggae and Soul.

Charlie Ace and the Swing A-Ling Mobile Record Shack, Kingston, Jamaica, 1973. Photo: Adrían Boot.

12 May 2026

Closes: 20 September 2026

Exhibition

Caribbean

Sound

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presents Dancing the Revolution, a group exhibition that examines the visual, political, and spiritual histories of dancehall and reggaetón through contemporary art. Curated by Carla Acevedo-Yates, with Iris Colburn, Nolan Jimbo, Cecilia González Godino, and Nibia Pastrana Santiago, the show traces how these genres emerged from grassroots Caribbean contexts and developed into global cultural forms linked to resistance, community, and liberation.

The exhibition includes painting, sound sculptures, installations, photography, and video. It features more than 40 artists including Isaac Julien, Edra Soto, Alberta Whittle, Carolina Caycedo, and Lee Scratch Perry.

Dancing the Revolution considers themes such as sound system culture, migration, sexuality, protest, and the circulation of Caribbean music across cities including Kingston, San Juan, London, Toronto, New York, and Panama.

Museum of Cotemporary Art Chicago
220 E Chicago Avenue
Chicago IL, United States
Visiting hours: Wednesday to Sunday 10am - 7pm. Tuesday 10am - 9pm.

mcachicago.org