The Border Gallery is proud to present Inherited Labor at GHOSTMACHINE GALLERY, a group exhibition curated by Emireth Herrera Valdés that continues her series exploring immigrant labor, this time focusing on reproductive work. Anthropologists Michael Hardt (1999) and Stefanie Muehlebach (2011) describe reproductive work as a form of affective labor that generates emotions such as love, care, and happiness, while also creating value and enabling workers to navigate—and resist—exploitative relations under advanced capitalism. Featuring the work of five artists: Daisy Patton, Jen Liu, Gabino A. Castelán, Anna Fabricius, and Zac Hacmon, the exhibition examines reproductive labor as a form of labor passed down through generations, not only as a means of survival but also as a way of preserving culture, care, and family bonds. Through repetitive gestures, learned patterns, daily routines, and rituals, this form of labor transmits knowledge, skills, and values that sustain both individuals and communities.
