September 12, 2026
Gala Porras-Kim opens her first institutional exhibition in ColombiaOn 10 September 2026, the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín opened The Motion of an Alluvial Record, the first institutional exhibition in Colombia devoted to Colombian-Korean-American artist Gala Porras-Kim. Curated by Natalia Valencia Arango, the presentation brings together recent projects that examine how cultural objects acquire meaning inside museums and archives.
Who decides what an object means?
Porras-Kim’s work often begins with collections, catalogues and the systems used to classify material from the past. Rather than treating those systems as neutral, she asks how conservation rules, institutional language and curatorial decisions shape the stories attached to an object. The exhibition’s title evokes an alluvial record: a history formed gradually through movement, deposits and changing conditions.
This focus makes the show especially timely for museums reconsidering inherited categories. The artist does not simply reject preservation. She reveals a productive tension between the desire to protect an object and the possibility that the object, its makers or its communities may demand a different relationship.
A Colombian context
Born in Bogotá in 1984 and working between Los Angeles and London, Porras-Kim has developed an international practice across drawing, sculpture, installation and research. Presenting this body of work in Colombia adds another layer to questions of origin, custody and cultural translation. The Medellín exhibition places those questions within a museum whose own building and collection are closely tied to the city’s industrial and social history.
The Motion of an Alluvial Record is on view in Gallery A at MAMM from 10 September 2026. The museum lists Natalia Valencia Arango as curator and describes the project as a selection of recent works. Visitors should consult the museum’s official page for current hours and admission information. | 
