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Cannupa Hanska Luger’s exhibition “American Traditional” is on view at Garth Greenan Gallery in New York, according to a Hyperallergic review. The 2026 works combine wood, ink and archival imagery to address the mass killing of bison and its consequences for Plains Indigenous peoples. The review describes the exhibition as a more declarative direction for the artist, but the source does not provide details about its run or programming.
Cannupa Hanska Luger’s exhibition “American Traditional” brings together wood, ink and archival references to confront the destruction of bison and its effects on Plains Indigenous peoples, according to a Hyperallergic review. The 2026 show is at Garth Greenan Gallery in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, and marks a shift from the participatory, ceramics-heavy projects for which the artist is best known.
The review describes the exhibition as a more declarative body of work. In “Requiem” (2026), Luger places an abstracted black bison atop a blackened rendering of a 19th-century American dining table. The pairing connects an animal central to Plains life with the material culture and historical forces associated with settler expansion, though the review’s interpretation should not be confused with a statement of intent directly quoted from Luger.
Another work, “Shoots Today, Kills Tomorrow” (2026), is pictured in the report. The source identifies the piece but does not supply a detailed description of its materials or meaning. The exhibition’s broader combination of wood, ink and archival material places historical imagery alongside sculptural forms, prompting the reviewer to consider how beauty and destruction coexist in the works.
The review connects Luger’s subject matter to the industrial-scale killing of bison after European settlers arrived with horses, firearms and railroads. It notes that Luger was born on the Standing Rock Reservation and is an enrolled citizen of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation. The article also draws on scholarship about the relationship between bison and Plains nations, and on historical statements linking the animals’ killing to efforts against Indigenous communities.
Bison History at the Center
The exhibition addresses a history in which bison were more than a source of food and materials for many Plains communities. The Hyperallergic review cites Cree scholar Tasha Hubbard, who describes buffalo as kin and the campaign against them as a form of genocide carried out by proxy. That framing connects the animals’ near-destruction to the displacement and trauma experienced by Indigenous peoples.
Using the bison as both image and subject gives the exhibition a way to confront that history through art rather than treating archival records as neutral evidence. The review’s account of Luger’s work also raises a question about how museums and galleries present images of violence: whether they acknowledge the harm behind an image, and whose perspective shapes its display. These are the reviewer’s readings of the exhibition, not claims that the gallery or artist has stated in the source.
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From Buffalo Slaughter to Archive
The review recalls a 1892 photograph of two men beside a hill of buffalo skulls, which the writer encountered at the Baltimore Museum of Art. There, a small curtain designed by Yurok artist Stormi Turner covered the image as part of the exhibition “Preoccupied: Indigenizing the Museum.” The reviewer says the intervention made viewers actively uncover the image, acknowledging the care its subject demanded.
The article also cites Mari Sandoz’s The Buffalo Hunters: The Story of the Hide Men, first published in 1954, for an account of bison’s former abundance and importance to Plains people. It recounts how military officials understood the strategic effect of bison destruction. Quoting a record by buffalo hunter John R. Cook, the review reports that General Philip H. Sheridan opposed a proposed Texas bill to protect bison in 1875 and argued that hunters should be supplied with ammunition so they could continue killing the animals. The material supplies historical context for Luger’s works, but does not establish that every work in the exhibition refers to a specific event or document.
““second major wave of trauma for Plains Indigenous peoples””
— Cree scholar Tasha Hubbard, as quoted in the Hyperallergic review
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Show Dates and Artist Statements
The source does not give the exhibition’s opening and closing dates, visitor information, or details about related talks and events. It also provides only limited descriptions of individual works and does not include a direct statement from Luger explaining his intentions. The report’s interpretations of the art are attributed to the reviewer, while the historical quotations are presented through the sources the review cites.
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Gallery Details Still Needed
Readers seeking to visit will need to check Garth Greenan Gallery for current hours and exhibition dates, which are not included in the source material. The Hyperallergic report does not describe a forthcoming event or announcement, so no further milestone is confirmed. Further gallery information or statements from the artist could clarify the show’s schedule, its accompanying programming and how Luger discusses the works.
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Key Questions
Where is “American Traditional” showing?
The 2026 exhibition is at Garth Greenan Gallery in SoHo, New York, according to the Hyperallergic review.
What does the exhibition address?
The review connects the works to the mass killing of bison and the consequences for Plains Indigenous peoples. It describes the exhibition as combining sculptural forms with archival material.
Which works are discussed?
The report describes “Requiem” (2026), featuring an abstracted black bison on a blackened dining table, and identifies “Shoots Today, Kills Tomorrow” (2026).
How long is the exhibition open?
The source does not provide opening or closing dates. Check with Garth Greenan Gallery for current schedule information.
Does the report include a statement from Luger?
No direct statement from the artist appears in the supplied report. Interpretations of the works are attributed to the Hyperallergic reviewer.
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