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An event on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at La Zona promises indigenous art, body painting and more. La Zona, at 337 West Commerce, often hosts themed pop-up exhibitions which sometimes involve music or fashion, but always involve art.
Karla Aguilar curated this event, and one of its standout aspects is the Amoxtin. Indigenous people compiled their accumulated knowledge through imagery that was loaded with meaning, much of which wasn't obvious to the Europeans invading their homelands.
“Amoxtin are these books that are compiled visual iconography that is a direct translation from the codices that the Inquisition was unable to burn hundreds of years ago," Aguilar explained. "So it's a really special opportunity for San Antonians to take in the visual language and be able to see others in action, still restoring the cultural heritage that is represented in those compositions.”
The Inquisition was an institution of the Catholic Church, a tribunal in which those perceived as heretics who had strayed from the church were persecuted and punished. It has a long, dramatic and troubling history dating from the 12th to the 19th centuries. Inquisitors infamously burned writings and other works of art. They also burned those judged to be heretics.
Modern-day knowledge of Meso-American culture was nearly destroyed by the conquistadors, who had little interest in the wisdom assembled by the indigenous people in the new world. These modern-day recreations by Akaxe Yotzin Gomez are windows into that era.
“For those that are curious about their ancestral indigenous roots, [they] are going to find this absolutely fascinating, because the kind of content that is represented, there is something that should have been erased hundreds of years ago and resisted being erased from the cultural landscape,” Aguilar said.
Artists have taken a deep dive into the passing of indigenous knowledge through these Amoxtins. And while the imagery contained in them is bold and graphic, the meaning of each isn't necessarily clear to the untrained eye. Aguilar said she will be there to help interpret.
“I will be doing gallery walks throughout the afternoon to explain to folks some of the symbology and how it's translated over hundreds of years from these different codices, and we'll have a body paint exhibit. Another local artist named Red Rojas is also exhibiting some of their work that utilizes some of that visual imagery,” she said.
La Zona also has art still hanging from previous exhibitions, alongside a display of 22 artistic interpretations of forbidden books.
“The Inquisition that burned through libraries all throughout the Americas, and the fact that any of this knowledge continues to exist, or that we have any access to it, is a mercy in and of itself, because our societies were so advanced prior to the strangers coming across the ocean,” Aguilar said.
The event is free and runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. For those interested, there is an online community school called Machtia Tolteka where people can connect further on the culture, research
