{"id":1181,"date":"2025-04-15T22:55:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T22:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/?p=1181"},"modified":"2026-03-20T00:54:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T00:54:18","slug":"anaconda-mfah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/anaconda-mfah\/","title":{"rendered":"Anaconda @ MFAH"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe title=\"Loriana Espinel  Anaconda  Sculpture\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i2JSa7RmSjQ?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I am deeply grateful to the <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Museum of Fine Arts, Houston<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, y <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Yeiry Guevara<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Public Programs Manager at MFAH, for the opportunity to create this wonderful Anaconda sculpture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I am also sincerely thankful to <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Pamela Anne Quiroz<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, Director of the <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Center for Mexican American and Latino\/Studies (CMALS)<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, for supporting the creation of the powerful video that beautifully captures the spirit of this piece.\u00a0 Please go to the Latino Cartographies website to see the video <a href=\"https:\/\/latinocartographies.com\/en\/media\/31401?page=39\">aqu\u00ed<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Festival: A Celebration of Myths and Memory<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">November 10, 2024<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, MFAH hosted its third annual Fall Family Festival, themed <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cMyths and Leyendas.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> The event blended public art, music, storytelling, and community to honor legends and folklore across the Americas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I was one of six Latinx artists in Houston invited to create a temporary large-scale sculpture for the event. My contribution was a <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">sculptural Anaconda<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> rooted in memory, myth, and my personal connection to the Amazon.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Story Behind the Sculpture<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Boa-Anaconda is a central mythological figure in <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Chiribiquete<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, a sacred park in Colombia. She is the Milky Way descending from the sky to become the <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Amazon River<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, the source of all life. She is also the jaguar\u2019s sister, a powerful spirit who binds the elements together\u2014sky, water, and earth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Growing up, I heard stories of how she struck not with venom or teeth but with her tail, leaving deep bruises and an altered walk. Her embrace was feared, respected, and remembered. I learned to move cautiously through the forest, swim without touching the muddy riverbed, and be aware she might be near.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Anaconda as Sculpture: A Space to Enter<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">From these stories emerged my sculpture:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Boa that embraces you as you step inside<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Her body rolled up envelopes, creating a cocoon of sound, shadow, and sensation. Inside, the jungle comes alive\u2014whispers, echoes, textures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In contrast to the fear she may evoke, the <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">body of my Anaconda becomes the Amazon River<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> itself. Along her surface, I painted the creatures who inhabit its waters, bringing together myth and ecology in one flowing form.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">She is not just something to look at.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> She is a <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">myth you can physically enter<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That\u2019s the beauty of myth: it lives on <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">when we step into it<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> And art makes that possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This sculpture honored the stories that shaped me and invited others into a space where <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">fear and beauty coexist<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">where<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> the river becomes a body, and the body tells a story.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Festival Atmosphere<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Thanks to the generous support of <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">H-E-B<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, the festival was free and open to all. Families played loter\u00eda using MFAH artworks, explored the sculpture garden, and enjoyed performances from <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mariachi Nuevo Imperio<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">DJ Rosez<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Quetzal Grupo Folkl\u00f3rico<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and many more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Food vendors like <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cochinita &amp; Co., Casita Coffee Co., Elotes HTX, Flor y Miel, and Sweets by Belen<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> added flavor and comfort to the celebration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The festival was organized in partnership with <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">ALMAAHH<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> (Advocates of a Latino Museum of Cultural and Visual Arts &amp; Archive Complex in Houston), whose mission is to preserve and elevate Latino stories in public space.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">My sculpture remained on view through <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">November 17<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, allowing visitors to return and bring others into the story.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am deeply grateful to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and Yeiry Guevara, Public Programs Manager at MFAH, for the opportunity to create this wonderful Anaconda sculpture. I am also sincerely thankful to Pamela Anne Quiroz, Director of the Center for Mexican American and Latino\/Studies (CMALS), for supporting the creation of the powerful video [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30,208],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","hentry","category-blog","category-pages","post_format-post-format-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1181"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1266,"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1181\/revisions\/1266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lorianaespinel.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}