Jesus Benavente: NUESTROWORLD

NUESTROWORLD is a satirical solo installation by Brooklyn-based artist Jesus Benavente. Featuring newly commissioned works, NuestroWorld opens on Thursday, August 13, 2026, transforming 5601 B Navigation Blvd, Houston, TX 77011 into a fictional visitor center for NuestroWorld, encouraging guests to explore Houston beyond the gallery walls and experience the city as an amusement park. The installation will be on view through September 13, 2026, with a closing party on September 11. Gallery hours are Thursday – Saturday, 12 – 6 pm. Admission is free.

Through satire and spectacle, NuestroWorld examines how cities construct identity through tourism, branding, memory, and myth, inviting audiences to reconsider Houston’s past and present. The exhibition draws inspiration from pivotal moments in Houston and Texas history, including the opening of the Astrodome and Astroworld in the late 1960s, Selena’s iconic Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo performances in the 1990s, and the folklore surrounding Santa Anna’s capture following the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, highlighting the city’s recurring cycles of ambition, folly, and heartbreak. The title plays on “Astroworld” and uses Spanglish to create the phrase “The World Is Ours,” reframing Houston’s cultural mythology through humor, nostalgia, and critical reflection.

Opening Reception
Thursday, August 13, 6 – 8 pm
Artist and Curator Talk: 6:45 pm

Closing Party
Friday, September 11, 2026, 6 – 8 pm

6 pm: NuestroWorld x Nuestra Palabra: The Words are Ours
Featuring writers unearthing our gente’s role in building the
bricks, mortar, and heart of Htown. Master of Ceremonies:
Tony Diaz, El Librotraficante, backed up by an army of poetas.

7 pm: special performance by CTS Trio – Queen of Tejano & Latin Tribute Band
Performing the greatest Latin hits of all time.

PRESS

Read Previewing Exhibitions Coming to the Greater Houston Area in Fall 2026, Glasstire (Aug 2026).
Read MUSED Houston | Must-See 3 This Week, MUSED Houston Substack (Aug 2026).
Read 9 must-see art openings at Houston museums and galleries for August, CultureMap Houston (Aug 2026).
Read Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend, CultureMap Houston (Aug 2026)
Read NuestroWorld art installation pays homage to Houston’s upfront hustle culture, Houston Chronicle (Aug 2026)

ARTIST BIO

Jesus Benavente is a visual artist based in Brooklyn, New York, and born in San Antonio, Texas. Benavente earned an MFA from Rutgers University and attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Recent exhibitions and performances include Reception Rome, Italy; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Queens Museum; LTD Los Angeles; Performa 13, New York; Acre Projects, Chicago; Chinati Foundation, Marfa; the Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY; Shin Museum of Art, South Korea; Vox Populi, Philadelphia; and Socrates Sculpture Park, New York.

Website: http://jesusbenavente.net
Instagram: @testotesto3