Smiling in Chaos – Bogotá

Smiling in Chaos has been a long time in the making—but its arrival couldn’t be more timely. As political tensions rise across borders and public discourse grows increasingly polarized, this second chapter of an international collaboration offers something deceptively simple, yet deeply radical: humor.

Co-curated by: Gonzalo García Gaitán, Ismael de Anda III, Carlos Beltrán Aréchiga

Presented by: Si Nos Pagan Boys (Colombia) + Durden and Ray Los Angeles-based artists.

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” – Victor Borge

Alelandro Sánchez, Aska Irie, Boris Pérez, Carlos Beltrán Aréchiga, Carlos Blanco, Carlos Castro, Carolyn Castaño, Fernando Diyarza, Gary Cannone, Gonzalo García Gaitán, Ismael de Anda III, Javier Caraballo, Javier Vanegas, Juan José García, le frère, Olga Huyke, Snezana Saraswati Petrovic, Steven Wolkoff, MSR Wilo, Catalina Moreno, Manuela Nieto, Samuel Angel Galeano

In a time when fear is politicized and division normalized, Smiling in Chaos brings together artists from Colombia , Spain, Mexico and Los Angeles who wield humor as more than a tool—it’s a form of resistance, a political gesture, and a way to stay human in dehumanizing times.

From irony to absurdity, satire to play, the works in this exhibition challenge dominant narratives and invite us to imagine alternative futures. They use laughter to expose truth, to puncture the armor of authority, and to open space for connection, critique, and catharsis.

Here, humor is not escapism—it’s engagement. It doesn’t look away from chaos; it confronts it head-on, transforming pain into power, and disillusionment into dialogue.

In a world that increasingly demands seriousness as a measure of legitimacy, this exhibition insists that joy, mockery, and wit are not only valid—but vital.