Eva Aguila: Vino de Sangre
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754
Saturday, April 26 at 6:00 PM 8:00 PM
Ends Sep 13, 2025
In her first solo museum exhibition, artist Eva Aguila researches the history of the Mission grape and wine production in the Catholic Mission System to examine the effects of colonization in what was once “Nueva España,” now Mexico and California. Utilizing somatic memory and archival research, Aguila reflects on the impact of the 1524 decree by Hernán Cortés, Ordenanzas de buen gobierno (“Ordinances of Good Governance”), tracing 500 years of the Mission grape’s historical ties to religious conversion and the subjugation of Indigenous peoples. This immersive installation presents newly commissioned artworks that foster reflection, healing, and dialogue about the legacies of Spanish colonialism in Los Angeles and across North America. Artworks include ceramic sculptures resembling 500-year-old goblet vines, linens stained with ink made from Mission grapes, and infrasound recordings and video footage recorded across historically significant Missions and wine sites in Guanajuato, Alta California, and the Baja California peninsula. Together, these elements recontextualize histories of agriculture, religion, and nation-building, illuminating the power of art to address historical erasure and reinterpret narratives about Latinx and Indigenous cultures.