William Cordova: algo•ritmos

A meditative installation reimagines television architecture as cultural memory, reconstructing the sets of two groundbreaking programs that shaped Latino representation on American screens.

William Cordova: algo•ritmos (2 tienes santo pero no eres babalao) runs August 16 through October 25 at Locust Projects, with an opening reception Saturday, August 16 from 7-9 p.m. The site-specific installation explores the intersection of spiritual symbology, urban architecture and popular culture through the lens of two influential television programs: ABC's "Good Times" (1974-1979) and Miami-produced "Que Pasa USA?" (1977-1980).

Cordova recreates the scale sets that housed these fictional families, challenging viewers to use memory to reassemble narratives and examine architecture as a storytelling pillar. The installation serves as what the artist describes as "a meditative platform for reflecting our public and personal memory" while observing how popular culture mythology shapes diverse cultural foundations.

The exhibition includes a video loop featuring a recently discovered promotional trailer for "Sak Pase USA" (1981), an unaired WPBT educational program that Cordova and collaborator Barron Sherer rescued from analog videotape using archival preservation techniques. The 3/4" U-matic cassette was carefully restored through low-temperature oven-baking to remove moisture damage.

Born in Lima and based in Miami and New York, Cordova holds an MFA from Yale University and has exhibited internationally including the Venice Biennial, Whitney Biennial and Havana Biennial. His interdisciplinary practice examines the roots of abstraction, textile encoding and non-linear narratives while disrupting conventional definitions of collective landscape.