Ancient Roots/Urban Journeys

I went to the Oakland Museum to see the exhibit Ancient Roots/Urban Journeys: Expressions for Dias de los Muertos. The exhibition had some really beautiful pieces, and it really tied together the themes of this class, which are art, community, and resistance. The pieces tied together the cultural significance and practices of the holiday with issues facing the Latino/a community here in California. Some of the themes of the pieces included youth violence, pollution, blending of cultures, and identity. My favorite piece was a gorgeous two-part mural by Joaquin Alejandro Newman. The mural, which is titled “Soul Journeys,” illustrates the journey of the dead to Mictlan, or the underworld. This journey is an Aztec story. The second part of the mural features contemporary practices of Dia de los Muertos. This part includes skeletons on low rider bicycles traveling on a highway to altars. Newman’s mural unites the “ancient roots” of Dia de los Mueros with modern traditions of the urban community.