The De Appel arts centre present Asco an exhibition on view 8 February–13 April 2014.
Asco was founded in the early 1970s by four artist friends, Harry Gamboa Jr., Gronk, Willie F. Herrón III and Patssi Valdez. Between 1972 and 1987, this collective, involved in the Chicano civil rights movement which rebelled against the marginalization of Latinos, carried out performances and theatrical actions on the streets of East Los Angeles, the centre of the Mexican-American community. They responded (the Spanish word ‘asco’ means revulsion or nausea) to their environment and the social actuality, which was characterized by social and political unrest. Asco employed a hit-and-run strategy. They often conducted unannounced actions in places where there had recently been a shooting, riot or protest against the Vietnam War or social inequality which had been violently broken up by the police.
Asco’s low budget and kitschy aesthetic reminds one of B films and glam rock, but their political agenda was radical. Their eccentric costumes, carnivalesque parades, startling actions and staged photos directed attention to the social inequality that ethnic minorities encountered daily in the US in the 1970s.
De Appel arts centre
Prins Hendrikkade 142
1011 AT Amsterdam
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday noon–8pm,
Sunday noon–6pm
www.deappel.nl