Skip to main content

Cultural Politics

The arts have always been used to tackle difficult issues on a wide scale. From poetry that ignites millions to photography that captures injustices, artists are using their creativity to make space for the marginalized and give light to untold stories.

La Raza Full Episode Thumbnail
Support Provided By
Chase Valencia: LASA Unit 120
LASA co-owner, Chase Valencia, explores the centuries of multicultural influence that shaped modern-day Filipino cuisine.
edward_s._curtis_collection_cahuilla-woman_056.jpg
No matter what you learned in fourth grade, California Indians didn't vanish when the '49ers arrived.
Chef Isa Fabro
To see Isa Fabro at work in the kitchen is to watch what happens when personal heritage inspires a chef to break rules and conventions, to open the door to their personal world and share it with others. 
The Grape Whisperer (6)
Southern California’s Central Coast is home to Coastal Vineyard Care Associates, where first generation Mexican immigrant Ruben Solorzano exercises his talent and passion for grape farming.
Azla Vegan (1)
In Downtown Los Angeles’ Mercado la Paloma, Azla Vegan draws on tradition and family customs to introduce Ethiopian fare.
 Chinese-American agricultural laborer harvesting stalks of celery on the field
In Los Angeles, the diversity of climate and topography supports the cuisines of its equally diverse cultural landscape. 
The Migrant Kitchen: Grand Central Market
While migrants from all over the world have been essential to L.A.’s food industry, they have remained largely behind the scenes. It is these immigrants who are re-shaping L.A.’s culinary landscape by infusing global traditions into modern dishes.
Chris Onesto, "California Drought Billboard," 2015 (featured)
As Californians enter the fifth year of drought conditions, we consider 11 artists who have worked with water as a subject or a medium -- individuals who make us rethink the way we engage with this vital resource.
CurrentLA participants Kerry Tribe at Sunnynook River Park
This summer, Los Angeles’ riverbanks and water-related sites will blossom to life despite the drought. Current:LA Water, a citywide public art biennial, is seeking to uncover the complexities inherent in water on urban life.
Refik Anadol, "Infinity"
Can data be beautiful? Can it tell stories? Media artist Refik Anadol thinks so, and his artworks are a testament to the delights of data.
Third L.A. with Architectural Critic Christopher Hawthorne
55:40
Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne partners with Artbound for an episode that looks into the future of Los Angeles.
The first CicLAvia in 2010
“L.A. is a city of immigrants,” we constantly say, and are told. This is true, to a degree. But by saying this, what is not being said? Who are imagined to be immigrants, and who are not?
Active loading indicator