Palenque

2022

Oil on Canvas

Installation on Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles

170 x 70 cm

Palenque was an ancient Mayan city. Today, its ruins are surrounded by dense jungle and a town infested with corruption, enabled by the current president of Mexico (whose ranch is in Palenque).

This work was inspired by Raphael Alessandro Tunesi, a local expert on ancient Mayan language, writing, and culture based in Palenque, who I admired. He was killed in July 2022.

I then traveled with Palenque to Los Angeles and installed it on Sunset Boulevard, in a gentrified (previously Mexican) neighborhood, unbeknown to passersby. Over the next 45 minutes, I observed their reactions from my seat in a cafe.

Surprisingly, a majority of passersby did notice Palenque and tried not to walk on it. Their gazes, full of questions, were naturally drawn to the painting.