ABQ Times

In English, the Spanish phrase "mal aire" means “bad air.” Mal Aire, a new exhibition at South Broadway Cultural Center, features the work of 19 artists who examine the fallout of bad air. The exhibition opens on Thursday, September 12 with a public reception from 5 to 7 p.m.

Mal Aire is co-curated by Gallery Curator Augustine Romero and Myrriah Gómez, associate professor in the Honors College at the University of New Mexico. They explain that when someone is said to be suffering from mal aire, it is believed that their body has become sick after something mal (evil) from a particular place is transferred into their body via aire (air) or viento (wind). Evil clings to a person after visiting a place with harmful energy and eventually makes their entire body sick. Only a limpia (cleansing) can heal the person from this.

Mal aire also refers to the environmental pollution that penetrates our bodies and makes us sick. Whether we are living downwind of the explosion of the world’s first atomic bomb, a chemical plant, or wildfires, we are all downwinders affected by the “bad air” created by humankind.

Contributing artists reflect on how our environments are making us sick and how the wind and air can bring pollutants into our body and harm our health and well-being and how important it is to heal ourselves and our communities. “This is our artistic limpia.”

Artists were selected by the curators seeing existing works in various forms and locations. The content and politics associated with their works were key in the invitation to participate. Many of the artists will be exhibiting for the first time at the South Broadway Cultural Center.

Artists include: Rivala Garcia; Johannes Barfield; Felix Lucero; Lynnette Rizek; David D. Agostino; Jocelyn Salaz; Xocolatic -Agwe Atlacatl (Dino Andino); Eric Garcia; Noé Barnett; Justin Rogers; Nani Chacon; Sofie Hecht; Mallery Quetawki; Joanna Keane Lopez; Stephanie Weiner; Yvonne Montoya; Paloma Nava; John Paul Granillo; and Aaron Richardson.

South Broadway Cultural Center gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Mal Aire is on view through October 19. Both the reception and exhibition are free to attend.