Espinosa CV 

My research focuses on the intersection of art, migration, and social inequality, with particular attention to two interconnected areas: the representation of migration in contemporary art and the processes through which marginalized artists achieve artistic recognition. Drawing on perspectives from cultural sociology, migration studies, and the sociology of art, I examine how artistic practices, cultural institutions, and systems of valuation shape public understandings of migrants and determine whose creative work is recognized, legitimized, and valued. I am particularly interested in the capacity of artworks to influence public perceptions of migrants, generate empathy, and challenge dominant narratives that frame migrants as either passive victims or cultural threats. My current work explores the social agency of contemporary artworks and the conditions under which they foster critical engagement with questions of mobility, belonging, and human rights. My work on the politics of artistic recognition examines how artists located at the social margins, including migrants and psychiatric patients, become incorporated into the art world. I am also interested in the globalization of Outsider Art and the ways its expansion is reshaping the boundaries of authenticity, marginality, and artistic legitimacy. Methodologically, my research is primarily qualitative, combining archival research, ethnography, participant observation, in-depth interviews, content analysis, and comparative case studies to examine how recognition, value, and belonging are constructed in the interconnected worlds of art and migration.