Performance: Jorge Rojas: Cage

Jorge Rojas: Coyotek
On view: October 2–October 29, 2025
Closing Reception: Wednesday, October 29, 4:00–7:00 pm
Performance: 6:00 PM
Gittins Gallery, University of Utah Department of Art & Art History

The University of Utah’s Department of Art & Art History presents Cage, a performance by Jorge Rojas, in conjunction with his exhibition Coyotek at the Gittins Gallery.

Originally performed in 2019, Cage responds to the inhumane conditions faced by immigrant individuals, families, and children at the U.S.–Mexico border. The performance highlights issues of mass deportation, denied asylum, and family separation, including indefinite detention across the U.S. This collective sit-in invites the public to stand in solidarity with those silenced by these policies—your presence is an essential part of the work.

Coyotek—a term Rojas coined by merging “coyote” and “technology”—reflects his deep engagement with mestizaje and the politics of human movement. The exhibition brings together two decades of conceptual and politically charged work informed by spiritual histories, abuses of power, and human interconnectedness. Through photography, video, performance, and installation, Rojas strives to build bridges of understanding and foster cultural exchange.

Jorge Rojas is a multidisciplinary artist born in Morelos, Mexico. His practice—shaped by a life between Mexico and the United States—embraces experimentation and cross-cultural dialogue. Drawing from personal experience and social observation, his work engages issues of migration, identity, and belonging, offering a powerful reflection on the world we share.

Photo credit: Trisha Empey