Reception: Reservation for Irony: Native Wit and Contemporary Realities

Reservation for Irony: Native Wit and Contemporary Realities
On view: August 9–August 30, 2025
Opening reception: Saturday, August 16, 5:00–8:00 pm

To follow: With All Due Respect: Stand-Up with Ricardo Cate & Friends
Saturday, August 16, 8:00–10:00 pm

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Santa Fe is proud to present Reservation for Irony: Native Wit and Contemporary Realities, an exhibition produced and curated by Trotta-Bono Contemporary. The exhibition explores how satire and humor serve as powerful tools in contemporary Native art and storytelling. The featured works were created by a leading group of Indigenous artists including Kent Monkman, Cara Romero, Nicholas Galanin, Diego Romero, Tony Abeyta, Geralyn Montano, Nico Williams, Bob Haozous, David Bradley, Glen La Fontaine, Harry Fonseca, TC Cannon, Fritz Scholder, Rick Bartow, Richard Glazer Danay, Kathleen Wall, George Alexander, Del Curfman, among others.

Through painting, sculpture, photography, and installation, these artists traverse the absurd, embrace satire, and employ irony to navigate layered identities, confront colonial narratives, and reflect on social and political realities. They wield wit with precision—carving through inherited myths, historical erasure, and political distortion. Comedy becomes a strategy of resistance and revelation, cutting close to truth when language falters.

“It’s an honor for the Institute of Contemporary Art, Santa Fe to present this exhibition curated by James Trotta-Bono, in partnership with Trotta-Bono Contemporary. Last year, during SWAIA weekend, we presented Hunter, an ICA exhibition I curated with Tony Abeyta. James builds on that foundation—bringing back many of the same artists and curating this new iteration with care and depth. As a leader in contemporary Indigenous art sales, his perspective brings an important dimension to the conversation.”

Institute of Contemporary Art, Santa Fe
Viewing Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 12:00–5:00pm