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When the New Mexico Museum of Art opened its contemporary space, Vladem Contemporary, in 2023, its inaugural exhibition, 鈥淪hadow and Light,鈥� featured work by Cochiti Pueblo artist Virgil Ortiz. On Saturday, June 20, Ortiz will present a new, immersive exhibition at the Vladem, titled 鈥淐ontinuum: Blindfall, First Strike,鈥� in collaboration with his lifelong friends, Eric F. Garcia and Tommy Lomeli.

A free public opening will be held at 5 p.m. June 20.

鈥淐ontinuum鈥� is the latest installment of 鈥淩evolt 1680/2180,鈥� Ortiz鈥檚 more than two-decade-long project that reimagines the history and legacy of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 through an Indigenous futurist lens. The exhibition includes ceramics, fashion pieces and an immersive video installation.

Much of Ortiz鈥檚 work centers on the figure of Po鈥檖ay, the Tewa leader who united Pueblo communities against the Spanish. But for 鈥淐ontinuum,鈥� he wanted to show the Spanish side of the conflict, as well, so he reached out to Garcia and Lomeli, both of whom have Spanish ancestry.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been cool to be able to bring in two of my friends as collaborators 鈥� Eric and Tommy 鈥� and their Chicano and Spanish blood, which was important to me, to tell the (full) story 鈥� of the Pueblo Revolt,鈥� Ortiz said.

Garcia said he took Ortiz鈥檚 invitation to collaborate on 鈥淐ontinuum鈥� as an opportunity to learn more about his own family history.

鈥淢y heritage is Spanish, Mexican and Native American, which perfectly fits into the narrative, because my lineage is very much part of everything that was shaping New Mexico,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淲ith this narrative, it wasn鈥檛 really a matter of me incorporating (Ortiz鈥檚) characters 鈥� but actually bringing more of a nostalgic perspective, (using) Spanish religious icons to help tell his story.鈥�

Alexandra Terry, who serves as the museum鈥檚 director of curatorial affairs and curator of contemporary art, said 鈥淐ontinuum鈥� calls attention to the role Indigenous Mexican and Castilian figures played in the revolt.

鈥淏y looking at the history through Eric鈥檚 (Garcia鈥檚) lens, they鈥檙e introducing a broader scope of characters,鈥� Terry said.

鈥淚 commend the Vladem for daring to do something different,鈥� Garcia said. 鈥淎t the same time, I really commend Virgil for bringing in the outside perspective of Spanish and Mexican artists to complement his narrative. I think, in itself, that was a brilliant move.鈥�

Lomeli, an emerging ceramic artist, often gives his pieces the kind of glittering paint jobs more commonly associated with lowrider cars. For 鈥淐ontinuum,鈥� he made busts of two 鈥渁eronaut pilots鈥� who act as supernatural navigators in Ortiz鈥檚 narrative.

鈥淚鈥檓 a second-generation Mexican American, and I identify as a Chicano from California, which is where I grew up. So, I鈥檓 bringing in that lowrider culture through the automotive paint in this work,鈥� Lomeli said. 鈥溾�� One piece is kind of a traditional Cochiti style (in terms of) the colors and patterns, and the other piece is more of a take on the turquoise in the region. We collaborated on the design and the colors.鈥�

Ortiz will present several historical works of Cochiti Pueblo pottery in the exhibition, as well, including a piece by his mother, Seferina Ortiz, who was a renowned potter.

鈥淓very time I do a show at a museum, I always ask to go into their vaults and look to see if we could bring some historic works out of the vault that the public hasn鈥檛 seen, to give the public an idea of where it all comes from 鈥� the lineage that I鈥檓 from,鈥� Ortiz said.

Santa Fe鈥檚 Museum of Indian Arts and Culture loaned two works to the exhibition, including one dating from the 1890s.

鈥淭he Museum of Indian Arts and Culture was incredibly generous and welcomed us, with Virgil, into their collection space,鈥� Terry said. 鈥溾�� So, this is a great display of heritage to have Virgil, his family 鈥� and these other Cochiti makers all displayed together.鈥�

Ortiz said he hopes the exhibition will prompt New Mexicans to consider what roles their own ancestors may have played in shaping the history of the region.

鈥淢y prayer for the whole thing is to have people acknowledge who we are as Pueblo people and what we went through with all the genocide and bloodshed 鈥� but also to look into themselves, and their own personal bloodlines, to learn more about who they are,鈥� Ortiz said.

鈥淐ontinuum鈥� occupies spaces on both floors of the Vladem, including the downstairs lobby area, that Terry said have been underutilized.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 fun for us is we鈥檙e also using parts of the Vladem that we鈥檝e really been wanting to activate but haven鈥檛 as much yet,鈥� Terry said. 鈥溾�� We also have a work of Virgil鈥檚 from our collection that is going to be on view at our Plaza building for the duration of this exhibition, so we are bridging 鈥� the two locations of the museum.鈥�

The exhibition runs through Oct. 18.

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at .