Caminos Por Andar: Latinx Futurism and Expanded Realities

Campus Commons Gallery, University of Northern Colorado

1051 22nd Street, Greeley, CO 80639

September 23-November 7, 2024

Admission: free

Review by Dani/elle Cunningham

At the University of Northern Colorado’s Campus Commons Gallery, Caminos Por Andar: Latinx Futurism and Expanded Realities presents anti-colonial visions of the future. In this exhibition, a cyborgean creature composed of human detritus and dirt emerges, white settlers are recast as extraterrestrials, and the Madonna and Child become residents of a modern-day border town. Many of the artworks employ a familiar futuristic aesthetic—sharp angles, ambient light, and an emphasis on technology—while others are subtle, reminding viewers that the future isn’t always a Star Trekian utopia, nor is it singular.

An installation view of *Caminos Por Andar: Latinx Futurism and Expanded Realities* at the Campus Commons Gallery at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

Dozens of artists from across the U.S. and Latin America were invited to participate in this exhibition, juried by Kaelyn Rodriguez, including at least one Denver-based artist: Rafael Fajardo, Associate Professor of Emergent Digital Practices at the University of Denver. His digital work Futura epitomizes the exhibition theme and is a kind of oracle in the style of a choose-your-own-adventure novel. Participants are invited to envision future outcomes by answering questions such as: “can you imagine the future? can you see yourself in this future?”

Rafael Fajardo, *Futura,* 2017-2023, interactive fiction (Twine) (frame from interactive component). Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

With limited answers to choose from, every path ultimately dead-ends—sometimes concluding with a dystopian note—but always giving participants the agency to begin again or accept fate. Drawing on the historical and global experiences of immigrants and other vulnerable populations and referencing the inextricable impact of climate change on their futures, Futura is both a social exercise in empathy for inevitable outcomes and a thought-provoking conceptual work.

Eric J. Garcia, *Frontiers*, 2023, prickly pear ink. Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

Stylistically playful but equal to Fajardo in content, Eric J. Garcia’s satirical drawings of stereotypical gray aliens in Frontiers and Chupacabra pair colonization and Latin American folklore with revisionism. Both are from a series featured in the online publication Hyperallergic and use prickly pear ink, giving them a distinct magenta hue. [1]

The prickly pear cactus is itself a marker of colonization as it was spread by Spaniards throughout the Americas, though it has been continually used by indigenous people in the region. [2] In Frontiers, an alien representing a European settler drives a covered wagon, with a second saucer in the sky behind it indicating more invaders. Garcia highlights that Europeans were once strangers to the Southwest, displacing indigenous populations. [3]

Eric J. Garcia, *Chupacabra*, 2023, prickly pear ink. Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

Similarly, in Chupacabra, a title that alludes to regional folklore, an alien sucks the life from a goat. Dressed in a suit and holding a dollar-sign suitcase, an alien embodies neo-colonial financial exploitation while the goat stands for those who have been financially drained. Through a satirical lens, Garcia reframes these historical events, illuminating the complex narratives that shape our understanding of the past and future.

Gery Vargas, *La Puya*, 2024, mixed media object and dirt. Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

Gery Vargas's La Puya is a sculptural installation that fuses organic and mechanical elements, exploring the interconnectedness of biological and artificial life. At its center, a circle of fleshy, claw-like forms extends upwards from a translucent, complex structure resembling tubes or joints. Vargas arranges these elements around a red metallic or mechanical core, and the sculpture rests atop a mound of dirt, connecting this futuristic, otherworldly object to the earth. Woven with human hair, the work suggests themes of humanity’s decay and submission to technology. The outstretched "arms" appear to reference the Spanish word puya, meaning a pointed stick or insult, adding further complexity to the work.

Bismark Alejandro Rex, *Temazcal*, 2022, acrylic, crayon, oil stick, and spray paint on burlap. Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

Among the minimalist contributions to the exhibition, Bismark Alejandro Rex’s paintings on unstretched burlap feature gestural lines, primary colors, and child-like imagery, including a car, an animal, and a skyscraper. In Temazcal and Pink Sport Type-R, he explores aspects of his culture and upbringing in Mexico and Texas, reflecting on his connection to modernity. Rex’s imagery is as raw as the burlap surface on which it appears, capturing a sense of constant motion, as if the artist is compelled to move forward without stopping to smooth or edit.

Sean Paul Gallegos, *Queer Little House*, 2024, upcycled cotton on cotton warp, Lazy Boy chair lining, finding, and thread. Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

Sean Paul Gallegos, *Virgin of Guadanika VII*, 2023, discarded sneakers (from trash), thread, chain, wallpaper, and tablet woven shoelace (from upcycled crochet thread). Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

Caminos highlights the use of traditional methods alongside contemporary materials to address future challenges, especially amid growing concerns about resource scarcity. Sean Paul Gallegos, a fifth-generation New Mexican weaver, transforms discarded sneakers into sculptures through hand-sewing, embroidery, and weaving. [4] In Queer Little House, he creates a small woven house adorned with horses and traditional patterns, while in Virgin of Guadanika VII he depicts a bound female religious figure. Through his work, Gallegos prompts viewers to reconsider the relationship between tradition and innovation, offering a compelling commentary on how art can engage with pressing social and environmental issues.

Marilyn Montufar, *Mother and Child (Lowrider Gathering), Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico*, 2017, color photograph. Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

Although the exhibition features several photographs, Marilyn Montufar’s Mother and Child (Lowrider Gathering), Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico stands out. By linking the lowrider counterculture—important to many Chicano and Latino communities in the U.S. and beyond—with the European art historical tradition of Madonna and Child compositions, Montufar elevates her subjects. She recontextualizes iconic imagery, weaving together cultural narratives to provide a new perspective on motherhood and identity. Additionally, her work challenges notions of who deserves reverence and who holds the authority to define such concepts.

An installation view of the exhibition *Caminos Por Andar: Latinx Futurism and Expanded Realities*. Image courtesy of the Campus Commons Gallery.

Using diverse mediums to challenge established narratives, the artists in Caminos Por Andar encourage viewers to envision expansive realities. From interactive digital experiences to paintings and installations, each work prompts reflection on the complexities of colonization and its effects on our future. Ultimately, the exhibition not only reflects on the past but also serves as a call to action, urging a reimagined future that prioritizes inclusivity, sustainability, and the vibrant potential of cultural histories, while amplifying the voices of those most impacted by these histories.

Dani/elle Cunningham (she/her) is an artist, scholar, and independent curator. She writes about science fiction, gender, sexuality, and disability, with an emphasis on mental illness. The co-founder of chant cooperative, an artist co-op, she holds a master’s degree in art history and museum studies from the University of Denver.

[1] See hyperallergic.com/720471/the-real-space-invaders/.

[2] U.S. Forest Service, “Plant of the Week,” accessed September 23, 2024, www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/opuntia_humifusa.shtml#:~:text=The%20prickly%20pears%20are%20considered,is%20also%20found%20in%20Ontario; Texas Beyond History, “Prickly Pear,” accessed September 23, 2024, www.texasbeyondhistory.net/coast/nature/images/prickly-pear.html.

[3] Eric J. Garcia, “The Real Space Invaders,” Hyperallergic, accessed September 23, 2024, hyperallergic.com/720471/the-real-space-invaders/.

[4] From Sean Paul Gallegos’s website, accessed September 23, 2024, www.seanpaulgallegos.com/.