Vivarium: Exploring Intersections of Art, Storytelling, and the Resilience of the Living World

_{Eloy Torrez, Meat, 2010, oil on panel, 48 x 48 in. (121.92 x 121.92 cm). Collection of the artist.}

Albuquerque Museum presents Vivarium, Exploring Intersections of Art, Storytelling, and the Resilience of the Living World. It features multiple works by seven distinguished artists: Nathan Budoff, Patrick McGrath Muñiz, Steven J. Yazzie (Diné/Laguna), Eliza Naranjo Morse (Kha’p’o Owingeh), Stanley Natchez (Shoshone-Tataviam), Julie Buffalohead (Ponca Tribe Indians of Oklahoma), and Eloy Torrez. The exhibition also includes a selection of works from the Tia Collection including paintings by Nanibah Chacon (Diné/Chicana), Julio Larraz, and more.

By exploring the delicate balance within nature through a variety of visual languages and cultural lenses, Vivarium invites viewers into a vibrant exploration of diverse environments. Latin for "place of life," the title Vivarium encapsulates the convergence of each artist's unique perspective to form a dialogue about how the non-human living world strives to survive even when human constructs threaten its existence.

While the word “vivarium” can also be defined as enclosing, restricting, or otherwise pinning down the non-human world, this exhibition is about flipping the microscope on ourselves. It juxtaposes the natural environment with the unnatural structures, relationships, and confines that humans have built alongside the worlds of animals.

Vivarium not only showcases the talents of the artists but also serves as a catalyst for dialog and action in the face of ecological and societal challenges. It is a vivid reminder of the power of art to inspire change and foster a deeper connection with the world around us.