Under This Terrible Sun

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The land burns…

 

This exhibition is a poetic reflection on the transformation of the landscape. At its core, it explores how the violence brought about by organized crime has profoundly impacted nearly every aspect of daily life—from commerce to agriculture.

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At the same time, the work invites us to consider broader issues, such as the unchecked cultivation of avocados and the implementation of industrial, large-scale agricultural systems that have triggered a climate crisis in Michoacán. Where rain once fell most of the year and the air was cool, the landscape around the city of Morelia is now nearly desert-like. Gradually, cacti and yuccas have begun to take over, while pine and oak forests become increasingly scarce.Carefully orchestrated by the United States and neoliberal economic policies, the avocado phenomenon has become a form of neocolonialism—a clear example of interventionism that disrupts not only the landscape but also the social fabric of the countries whose resources are desired.

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For this reason, some of the works in the exhibition are created from organic remnants sourced from conflict zones: cloths dyed with avocado pits, drawings made with mud or avocado pulp, or wood charcoal—exploring the possibilities the fruit offers as material.This body of work becomes an exploration of landscape as a genre, asking what is deemed worthy of being painted. Most of the pieces are studies—attempts to understand the world we inhabit, to turn our gaze toward the violence caused by organized crime and the so-called war on drugs. They depict narco-banners, burning forests, and melancholic desert scenes. A naïve approach, full of color and a certain sense of humor, is used to address such thorny subjects. All of this reaffirms the political power of painting landscapes.

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Marco López Valenzuela

Curated by Selma Guisande