The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cultural industry to reinvent itself at a time when museums, already less frequented than Wal-Mart, have closed their doors as a security measure. 

Against a backdrop that is not without its difficulties, the new winds of change in the country, with a government in which racialized women play a central role, and social movements have put the spotlight on systemic oppressions and the "invisibility" of large minorities; cultural managers are shaking the foundations of cultural assimilation with the internet as an ally. 

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) on Long Island recently opened its first 3D virtual exhibition earlier this February with a show devoted entirely to Latina artists' works. 

 Entitled Herland, this new exhibition, which will be on view throughout 2021, includes 56 pieces, including drawings, sculptures, photographs, and paintings by at least 44 artists. 

The works are part of the MOLAA Collection and cover such wide-ranging themes as race, social injustice, and women's empowerment in various styles and points of view. 

"Today, this concept is more important than ever," said Gabriela Urtiaga, chief curator of the Museum of Latin American Art. "They are artists with different aesthetics, but they all have a common denominator, and that is the struggle, the struggle to break stereotypes and push the boundaries of female creativity," he added.

One of the wonders of this exhibition, the first of MOLAA's 3D virtual galleries, is that it literally feels like the viewer is walking through the space and can zoom in on each work with astonishing clarity, as well as read the accompanying text panels.

"This is MOLAA's first fully virtual exhibition," said Urtiaga. "But we have plans to present Herland in our galleries once we are able to reopen our doors because the virtual can never replace the physical."

This is an important first step for the museum, just as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. According to the curator, Herland is "the flagship" towards a new approach to MOLAA that is much more feminine and feminist, acquiring more works by Latina artists and programming more exhibitions centered on them. 

Among these novelties is the long-awaited exhibition on the Chicana muralist and activist Judy Baca, who has spent more than 30 years fighting with her art for the rights of the Latino community with emblematic works such as The Great Wall of Los Angeles, where she highlights the numerous contributions of migrants to the country.

Baca's exhibition, which will occupy most of the museum with more than a hundred works, is scheduled for the summer. However, if COVID-19 prevents the museum from reopening, 3D will be a powerful ally once again.

Herland

When: From now until 2 January 2022

Where: molaa.org

Cost: Free