About this episode

This episode features artists Leasho Johnson and Laura Facey discussing their work and the exhibition 'Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón'.

Episode No. 758 features artists Leasho Johnson and Laura Facey. Both artists are featured in "Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago through September 20. The exhibition explores and expands the visual, political, and spiritual histories of dancehall and reggaetón through contemporary art produced in the Caribbean, New York, London, and beyond. It was curated by Carla Acevedo-Yates with Cecilia González Godino, Iris Colburn, Nolan Jimbo, and nibia pastrana santiago. A catalogue will be published by the museum and DelMonico Books in July. It is available from Bookshop and Amazon for $60-65. Johnson's paintings explore Black queer identity, Caribbean folklore, and post-colonial narratives. His pictures find meaning in the space between figuration and abstraction, and between Jamaican cultural heritage and broader art histories. His exhibition credits include the 2025 Liverpool biennial at the Walker Art Gallery and group shows at the Leslie Lohman Museum, New York, the Portland (Me.) Art Museum, and the National Gallery of Jamaica. His work is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, the Pérez Art Museum…

Topics covered

• contemporary art
• dancehall
• reggaetón
• Black queer identity
• Caribbean folklore
• post-colonial narratives

More episodes of The Modern Art Notes Podcast

• Young Joon Kwak; "The Crossing" · July 16, 2026 · 1h 27m
• Marcel Duchamp, Nic Nicosia · July 9, 2026 · 1h 14m
• Holiday clips: Hew Locke · July 2, 2026 · 1h 14m
• Louis Fratino · June 25, 2026 · 47 min
• Summer clips: Jes Fan · June 18, 2026 · 49 min
• John Akomfrah · June 11, 2026 · 56 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Modern Art Notes Podcast podcast page.