"At times, it’s a saying in the late afternoon or early morning, a greeting from fellow gardeners. We are all colleagues, dealing with weather extremes, exhaustion, and customers looking for the cheapest labor.” — Jesus Cortez

“¿Ya mero compa? Ya mero,” is an exchange laborers speak to one another when they are too tired to remember who they are — while the rest of us in society don’t see them at all. Through this reiteration of his multimedia exhibition ¿Ya Mero Compa?, Cortez calls society in to see him and other laborers — to ask viewers and customers, do you see us or do you just hear the machines?

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This exhibition was installed at the TRYST Alternative Art Fair in Torrence, CA from August 23-25, 2024.

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Image Title: "Las Maquinas"

Photographed by Jesus Cortez

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About the Artist:

Jesus Cortez is an award-winning undocumented writer, poet and photographer from West Anaheim. His work is inspired by his undocumented reality. Through his artistic expressions, he brings forth counter narratives to those presented in the mainstream. In addition, he hopes to use his voice in contrast to those who tend to speak for his community.​

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About TRYST:

TRYST is a new international art fair for artist-run-spaces and collectives as well as an international conference addressing the needs and future of global exchange for artist-run spaces, collectives, and organizations. A Torrance Art Museum (TAM) project, TRYST addresses the need for opportunities that foster artistic exchange between grass-roots artist organizations worldwide.

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