Eli Ping | That Lovely Land of Might-Have-Been | The Falstaff

Opening Thursday, January 29th, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

From the Falstaff Project:

"What is it that we glimpse in the distance? The distance that blurs time as well as lights, dripping down the glass, a torrential faraway. The quiet storm of elsewhere descending as we speed out of town. Is this why we struggle to reach one another? The far distance blinking in our rear view, more perfect than anything else we know. Can we ever go back there? Do we want to?
-VT 1/5/26

The Falstaff, El Paso is pleased to announce artist Miguel Bendaña as Guest Curator of The Falstaff Project, a newly dedicated exhibition space within The Falstaff. Bendaña, a co-founder of the New York–based gallery Queer Thoughts (2012–2023) will curate a series of three exhibitions running from January through July 2026.

Built in 1935 as the Falstaff Brewery, this historic El Paso landmark now serves as a multidisciplinary art center uniting independent galleries alongside a range of artist and maker studios. The establishment of The Falstaff Project marks an expansion of The Falstaff’s commitment to contemporary art and curatorial collaboration.

Bendaña’s program opens with That Lovely Land of Might-Have-Been, a group exhibition on view from January 29–March 8, 2026, bringing together artists based in El Paso alongside artists from other cities. Participating artists include: Lucie Stahl, Mago Gándara, Alivia Zivich, Andres Payan Estrada, Edward Thomasson, Bruno Zhu, Dean Sameshima, Angelica Yudasto, Vico Gutiérrez, Michael Vahrenwald, Miguel Bendaña, Haydee Alonso, Eli Ping, Diamond Stingily, Georgina Treviño, José Villalobos & Keith Micheal Murphy, Viktor Van Bramer, Mindy Rose Schwartz and Maggie Lee.

The series will continue with a solo presentation by Chelsea Culprit, followed by a group exhibition organized in collaboration with Detroit-based gallery What Pipeline."