Jorge Palacios: …and will be again

The exhibition’s title is derived from Gloria Anzaldua’s poem in Borderlands/La Frontera where she states, “This land was Mexican once / was Indian always / and is. / And will be again.” In thinking about the past, present and future of the land beneath our feet, Jorge contends with the ambiguity of navigating Indigeneity, displacement and decolonization on Turtle Island/Abya Yala. Having roots in Central Mexico, they were raised in Yanaguana/Somi Se’k, also known as San Antonio, and lived in Narragansett/Wampanoag land while attending university. Now residing in their hometown, they question what it means to be a responsible relative in kinship and solidarity with Indigenous Nations and the land where one stands.

This exhibition consists of sculptures, projections, and a video game installation that explore haunting and memory following ongoing Texan, Mexican and U.S. settler colonialism. Many of the pieces are created with molten glass poured into locally sourced soil from Turtle Island/Abya Yala. This process captures geological memory as a ghostly vestige on the glass surface. The sculptures sit alongside a video game, game controller and projected video. In combining disparate technologies, Jorge attempts to prompt viewers to imagine alternative futures and relations to land and place outside of the confines of settler colonial institutions.

Jorge’s Bio:

Jorge is a multimedia artist from San Antonio, Texas with roots in Central Mexico. Their conceptual work probes the intersections between land, science, technology and decolonization primarily through interactive installations, glass sculpture and video games. They hold degrees in astrophysics from Brown University and glass from the Rhode Island School of Design and will be pursuing an M.A. in social sciences at the University of Chicago this Fall. They have exhibited nationally and internationally in Texas, Rhode Island, North Carolina and Mexico City, and their work was featured in American Craft Magazine and international online publications. When not traveling between residencies, jobs and fellowships throughout the country, Jorge bases their studio practice in their hometown of San Antonio/Yanaguana.”