The Contemporary Austin, Waterloo Greenway, & Fusebox collaborate to bring Maravilla’s work to life this spring
March 5, 2024 (Austin, Texas) – This April, Austin will sprout not one, but two sculptural art works by renowned artist Guadalupe Maravilla. The Contemporary Austin, Waterloo Greenway, and Fusebox have joined forces to bring these works to the Austin community.
The Salvadoran-born, New York-based transdisciplinary visual artist and healer Guadalupe Maravilla was part of the first wave of unaccompanied, undocumented children to arrive at the United States border in the 1980s as a result of the Salvadoran Civil War. As an adult, Maravilla was diagnosed with cancer, which he attributes to his migrational trauma, and grounds his practice in the historical and contemporary contexts belonging to the undocumented and cancer communities, combining pre-colonial Central American ancestry, personal mythology, and collaborative performative acts.
While undergoing cancer treatment, he was introduced to sound therapy, a healing practice that uses tonal vibrations produced by gongs to improve physical and psychological health. Maravilla is a trained sound healer who regularly holds workshops for undocumented immigrants, cancer patients and survivors, and those in need of vibrational healing. Both of his works in Austin will be accompanied by sound baths to connect to the full elemental qualities of his works.
Maravilla’s last project in Austin took place in 2017 and was one of the most memorable, talked about projects in Fusebox history. The large-scale public ritual featured an all female motorcycle club from San Antonio and 30 performers.
“For me sound is medicine. Sound as medicine is nothing new; it’s been happening from the beginning of humanity. Think about the Tibetan throat singing that happens in Asia and all the percussion instruments, and flutes and vocals from the shamans in the Americas. That is sound as medicine all over the world,” said Guadalupe Maravilla.
Presented at The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria from April 4–November 3, 2024, Mariposa Relámpago is the artist’s largest sound-healing sculpture. At the sound baths, the artist and healers will play the gongs to activate the work and create an immersive soundscape, restoring calm and balance to those in attendance. The gongs are tuned to specific frequencies related to the earth and the moon.
Guadalupe Maravilla: Mariposa Relámpago is commissioned by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. Mariposa Relámpago will travel to venues across Texas through a partnership between organizations including Ballroom Marfa, The Contemporary Austin, and the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston. The Contemporary Austin’s presentation is organized by Alex Klein, Head Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs.
The second work, entitled Serpent of the Sun and the Moon, has been specifically created for the Austin solar eclipse. It is a bronze sculpture that is part of Maravilla’s series of sculptures titled Disease Throwers, which also function as vibrational healing instruments. It represents a serpent holding two gongs – a Sun gong coming from the cloud, and Moon gong from the mouth of the serpent. Each gong resonates at the frequency of their corresponding celestial bodies. The sculpture was produced in Mexico City and will be activated in a sound bath in preparation for the eclipse.
Commissioned by Fusebox and Waterloo Greenway, this installation is one of seven projects nationally supported by the Simons Foundation as part of their newly launched Triangle Program, which brings together artists, scientists, and producers to create new artworks and engage audiences in creative ways. The Triangle Program is part of the broader In the Path of Totality initiative.
WHERE TO SEE MARAVILLA’S WORK:
Tuesday, April 2 at Waterloo Park – Lebermann Plaza
Serpent of the Sun and the Moon Sound Bath | 10am
Join Fusebox and Waterloo Greenway for a transformative sound bath led by Guadalupe Maravilla as this sculptural installation is unveiled and its sound healing properties are activated for the first time. Space is limited.
Free Reservation Required
Tuesday, April 2 at Waterloo Park – Lebermann Plaza
Serpent of the Sun and the Moon Meet the Artist | 7-8pm
Join Fusebox and Waterloo Greenway to celebrate the brand new installation by Guadalupe Maravilla alongside the artist. Free and open to the public.
Thursday, April 4 at The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria
Mariposa Relámpago Unveiling | 6-8pm
Nested amongst the canopy of trees at Laguna Gloria, Guadalupe Maravilla will activate Mariposa Relámpago, his largest sculpture to date, acting as both a shrine and a sound healing instrument. This evening reception to celebrate the unveiling of Mariposa Relámpago at The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria is free and open to the public. Experience the temporary addition to Laguna Gloria, the bus’s second stop on its journey across Texas, on view through November 3, 2024.
Free Reservation Required
Friday, April 5 at The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria
The Contemporary Austin + Fusebox Sound Bath | 7-8:30pm
Come to Laguna Gloria for a healing sound bath led by Guadalupe Maravilla and other sound healers on Friday, April 5. For this immersive experience, Maravilla will activate Mariposa Relámpago, a sculpture he has turned into a large-scale vibrational healing instrument. Space is limited.
Free Reservation Required
Sunday, April 7 at The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria
The Contemporary Austin + Fusebox Sound Bath | 10-11:30am (for the cancer community) & 3-4:30pm (public)
Come to Laguna Gloria for a healing sound bath led by Guadalupe Maravilla and other sound healers. For this immersive experience, Maravilla will activate Mariposa Relámpago, a sculpture he has turned into a large-scale vibrational healing instrument. Space is limited at both.
Free Reservation Required
ABOUT THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN
As Austin’s only museum solely focused on contemporary artists and their work, The Contemporary Austin offers exhibitions, educational opportunities, and events that start conversations and fuel the city’s creative spirit. Known for artist-centric exhibitions and collaborations, The Contemporary invites exploration at both its urban and natural settings—downtown at the Jones Center (700 Congress Avenue) and lakeside at the Laguna Gloria campus (3809 West 35th Street), which includes the museum’s Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park, with a growing program of commissions, temporary projects, and a permanent collection of outdoor sculptures by artists including Ai Weiwei, Terry Allen, Carol Bove, Sarah Crowner, Tom Friedman, Anya Gallaccio, Ryan Gander, Liam Gillick, Nancy Holt, Teresa Hubbard / Alexander Birchler, Paul McCarthy, Wangechi Mutu, Tom Sachs, Monika Sosnowska, Jessica Stockholder, SUPERFLEX, Marianne Vitale, and Ursula von Rydingsvard.
ABOUT WATERLOO GREENWAY
Waterloo Greenway Conservancy is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create and maintain an extraordinary urban park system and a restored Waller Creek, in partnership with the City of Austin, for the benefit of all. The Conservancy renews the natural environment, promotes play, health and wellness, economic vitality and mobility, and engages the community through outreach, education, cultural events, and the arts.
ABOUT FUSEBOX
Fusebox was founded by a group of artists in 2005 who wanted to create a robust exchange of ideas across different art forms and geography, with a particular interest in the live experience. Today Fusebox partners with organizations all over the world ranging from small grassroots organizations to major art centers, and produces two festivals (The Fusebox Festival & Live in America) along with year-round programming and events.