Courtesy of the Mexican Cultural Center Denver
Amores Perros
The largest papier-mâché Aztec dog god you’ve ever seen
It took 10 years, multiple international organizations and decades of papier-mâché experience to bring Oscar Becerra-Mora’s enormous alebrije “Xólotl: Dios Perro,” to Santa Fe. But the timing of the work’s Southside Library exhibition couldn’t be better.
Originally the shared brainchild of Denver’s Mexican Cultural Center, the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City and several other Colorado and Mexico-based arts organizations, Becerra-Mora’s sculptural piece arrives in conjunction with the exhibit La Cartonería Mexicana/The Mexican Art of Paper and Paste at the Museum of International Folk Art.
But unlike the modestly sized creatures by founder of the alebrije tradition Pedro Linares in MOIFA’s collection, Becerra-Mora’s titular piece—which clocks in at more than 13-by-14 feet—takes inspiration from the gigantic fantasy creatures carried aloft in Mexico City’s annual Monumental Alebrijes Parade and Competition. And rather than the dream imagery that led Linares to his original chimeric paper creations, Xólotl draws from the Aztec pantheon to convey a message of multiculturalism.
“I picked the Xólotl, which is a dog deity with symbolic importance in pre-Hispanic mythology, at first because I heard that people in Denver are dog lovers,” Becerra-Mora jokes in Spanish. “But on the other hand, this deity had the particular ability to transform into other animals, which I associated with the alebrijes—which are pieces that are mixes or hybrids of different animals.”
Xólotl’s nomadic exhibition history has created a cultural and geographical interchange that echoes the mingling of diverse animal forms in alebrije.
Because the piece has been exhibited in spaces such as the History Colorado Center, Denver International Airport, Seattle Airport and University of New Mexico, in some sense, Becerra-Mora says, it has “become a kind of ambassador for Mexican culture through folk art.”
The work is arresting enough on its own to merit a trip to our town’s comfiest library. But for the full context of both the exhibition and its namesake underworld god, head to Museum Hill to hear Becerra-Mora speak with translation assistance from Ericka Hernández of the Mexican Cultural Center. (Siena Sofia Bergt)
Xólotl: Dios Perro Talk: 2:30 pm Saturday, April 15. Free. Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, (505) 476-1204
Óscar Becerra-Mora: Xólotl (opening): 6 pm Tuesday, April 18. Free. Santa Fe Public Library Southside, 6599 Jaguar Drive, (505) 955-2820
Courtesy Facebook
Getting Better All the Time
Denver three-piece Bleak Mystique defies classification. Just when you think you’ve pegged them in the throwback ‘80s sound category, they get grungy; just when you feel like you’ve got a hold on the ‘60s elements at play, they drop into a Weezer-esque moment. Sam Shapiro, Aidan Hutchings and Hayden Bosch are so varied in their sonic explorations, in fact, that we should maybe just call them rock, stop getting hung up on genrefication and move on to actual enjoyment. Point is, there’s a lot to enjoy here for musical polyglots in search of a good time. Often unexpected and definitely weird, Bleak Mystique might not fit into any box neatly, but they’ve certainly done their homework. In other words, you can maybe ID some inspirations, but you can’t narrow this band down. (Alex De Vore)
Bleak Mystique: 8 pm Thursday, April 13. Free. Second Street Brewery (Rufina), 2920 Rufina St., (505) 954-1068
Courtesy Ryan Parker
Quickly Now
It’s hard to afford original art. True enough, and the whole game can sometimes feel like a means for rich folks to move around their money. Hecho Gallery, though, operates differently. At this week’s Quick Draw, the second in a series, artist Daniel McCoy (Muskogee Creek/Potawatomi) hand-picked a number of local artists who will come together to create new pieces on the spot that collectors can then buy, also on the spot. McCoy himself will be there, art-ing it up, alongside notable locals like Ryan Parker, Yvette Serrano, Conor Flynn, Robyn Tsinnajinnie and so many more—13 in total! It’s fun to watch ‘em work and even more fun knowing you just collected a new piece without putting yourself in the poorhouse. (ADV)
Quick Draw: 6 pm Friday, April 14. Free. Hecho Gallery, 129 W Palace Ave., (505) 455-6882
Courtesy Facebook
Bizzier Than Ever
One of the cooler aspects of the rap and hip-hop worlds remains how members of downright legendary acts often have their own solo careers going. Case in point: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s Bizzy Bone heads to Santa Fe this week on his I’m Busy Tour through a promotions partnership between Sins Events and Reloaded Talent, and that’s a big-ass deal to fans of sick beats and lyrical excellence. Bizzy’s been known for a steady stream of releases, as well as a rather interesting background (Google it, buds, because it’s sometimes wild), but his dual-threat rapping/singing abilities keep him at well over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. You’ll also find DGZ and Buck D on the show. (ADV)
I’m Busy Tour ft. Bizzy Bone: 8 pm Sunday, April 16. $30-$35. Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery, 2791 Agua Fría St., (505) 303-3808
