¿Quiénes somos y quiénes seremos?

Mérida, Mexico April 25, 2022- May 14, 2022

Through the Venture Grant, I spent Block 8 in Mérida, Mexico, a city with colonial, pre-colonial, and contemporary art and architecture. For reference, I double-majored in Spanish: Hispanic Studies and Art: Integrative Design and Architecture. My Spanish thesis takes a more anthropological view on the state of collective identities throughout the past three centuries. Some questions related to this thesis that I was able to explore include: How do sites affect collective identities in general? And what is the appropriate way to respond to these effects (although this question doesn’t have one definite answer)? Artistically, I have many questions that I still don’t have full answers to and never may. One of my most important questions is: How can I strengthen my art as someone who comes from a family and community whose collective identities are affected by what I’m studying, writing, and making art about in this project? I reflected on these questions through my blog and personal journal.

I spent Block 7 working with the art department to better understand which materials, subjects, etc. would be appropriate and would reflect my time in Mexico accordingly. I ended up settling on a “ghostly” aesthetic to bring attention to the dark and sad reality of what I was investigating. Secondly, I posted daily on my blog,  www.MexicoThesis.blogspot.com , and asked those who attended my thesis presentations to follow along. It was important to me that I record my experience daily, to comprehend how my observations and understanding of the ideas in my thesis change from day to day. For that reason, I also spent time writing in a personal journal. Lastly, I created a video summary (in  English  and  Spanish ) of my trip to Mérida and my findings there. Throughout my stay, I visited pre-colonial, colonial, and modern sites, including el Museo Casa Montejo, el Paseo de Montejo, San Ildefonso, el Parque de La Mejorada, la Plaza Grande, Nahualli House Artists, the Museum of Anthropology and History, the Mayan World Museum of Mérida, Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Izamal, and Motul.

My project was based on observational research. I searched for architecture, archaeological sites, art, and other forms of expression to reflect on through my own art and responded directly to sites and objects with obvious pre-colonial, colonial, and modern, responsive connections. The result of this methodology, for my project specifically, was reflective art, journaling, and blog posts.

My intentions were to focus on the architecture in Mérida, but while I was, I noticed the importance of the interactions between buildings and the natural environment. Because the Yucatan peninsula is naturally a jungle, it’s completely green, year-round. You couldn’t look one way without seeing plants. It was then that I recognized the relationship between the tenacity of plants and that of Mexicans, in this case, los yucatecos- specifically los mayas. The plants, to me, worked as a symbol of reclamation and shared a connection with my prior work because of this ability to reclaim. Any site, be it pre-Hispanic, colonial, or contemporary, will be reclaimed by plants and this symbolism was something I decided to represent in my art during my time spent in Mexico.

I’m Mexican-American, yet I’ve had to learn my language through college up until getting the opportunity to improve my Spanish in Mexico through the Venture Grant. I was also given the chance to know more about my culture through this trip and through the work of the project itself. I now feel more connected to my roots and have a much greater understanding of the effects of colonization and reclamation in Mexico. I am extremely grateful for the chance I’ve been given to continue my investigation and personal and academic development abroad. Upon returning to the US, I created a video about my experience and continue to share the blog I used while abroad. I intend to continue creating art based on my trip over the summer and potentially further into the future. Regardless of the subjects of my art, this project will continue to affect my work for the rest of my life.

I would like to thank Andreea Marinescu, Naomi Wood, and the Spanish department in general, as well as Rachel Paupek, Jameel Paulin, and Scott Johnson from the art department, the Keller Family, and those in charge of the Venture Grant for making this possible and helping me along the way.