‘Readymade in the Borderlands’ at Tucson Museum of Art
Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block presents “Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands” (July 3 – November 30, 2025) guest curated by Rigoberto Luna. This exhibition features contemporary artists living and working from both sides of the United States-Mexico border while focusing on the significance of materials and place in art-making practices.
Gesturing towards the Chicano sensibilities of rasquachismo—a legacy of resourcefulness born from necessity—blended with the European and American tradition of the readymade, these artists’ transform mass-produced and found objects to explore themes of land and labor, movement and migration, materiality of place, and beyond borders.
“This exhibition powerfully embodies the Tucson Museum of Art’s mission to connect art to life,” Anne Breckenridge Barrett, TMA’s Jon and Linda Ender Director and CEO, said. “’Ya Hecho’ explores how artists engage in making through personal conceptual practice using found objects—welcoming a dialogue around lived experience in the Borderlands. TMA has a longstanding commitment to collecting contemporary and Latin American art, making this a meaningful addition to our ongoing focus on art of our region and its far-reaching impact.”
The exhibition amplifies the contributions of Latinx artists from the Southwest while highlighting shared approaches to storytelling, art-making, and cross-cultural exchanges. Featuring 42 artworks by 18 artists made over the last 20 years, Ya Hecho evokes the landscape and cultural aesthetic of the Borderlands through sculpture and installation deeply rooted in personal experiences and historical narratives.
“This exhibition is important because the works emerge from the social and material realities of Borderland communities—it is both personal and about an important creative moment,” Luna said. “Mobilizing everyday materials—cardboard, produce bags, truck parts—these artists engage in transformative acts. Through resourcefulness and care, they reveal that what is often overlooked or discarded can hold the deepest meaning about who we are.”
By inventively synthesizing found and familiar objects, artists in Ya Hecho create a language of possibility rooted in materials, bridging personal associations with complex diasporic themes— conveying histories of labor, migration, survival, and resilience.
TMA will host related public activities which will focus on the importance of place and offer many opportunities to engage with the artwork and key themes, including:
“In Conversation: Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands,” Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. Celebrate the opening of “Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands” with a panel discussion featuring guest curator Rigoberto Luna with artists María José Crespo and Gil Rocha. For more information and to register click here.
“Artist Talk: Vicente Telles” Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Artist Vicente Telles will share insights on his artistic practice that ranges from traditional retablos to contemporary pieces as well as his works in “Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands.” For more information and to register click here.
