Guadalupe Maravilla: Mariposa Relámpago
April 4 – November 3, 2024 | Laguna Gloria
Austin Exhibition Organized by Alex Klein
Sound Ceremonies Organized by Emmy Laursen & Danny Orendorff

Guadalupe Maravilla (born 1976; San Salvador, El Salvador) grounds his sculpture, painting, performance, and large-scale installation in activism and healing, informed by his personal story of migration, illness, and recovery. At the age of eight, Maravilla fled El Salvador’s civil war as an unaccompanied minor and made a perilous journey through Central America to reunite with family in the United States. In the 2010s, Maravilla was diagnosed with colon cancer — an illness that links to generational trauma and the stresses of being undocumented — and during the recovery process, he was introduced to ancient methods of healing, including the use of sound. This life event shifted Maravilla’s practices, and he has since worked tirelessly to raise awareness of trauma and expand access to healing, nurturing collective narratives with a sense of perseverance and humanity.

Mariposa Relámpago is part of the artist’s Disease Throwers series — sculptures that incorporate natural materials, handmade objects, and items collected by the artist while retracing his migratory route to become shrines and healing instruments. Some of Maravilla’s sculptures include contemporary metal gongs that are activated by the artist during public sound ceremonies to deploy the powers of vibrational sound as a form of healing. Maravilla’s artworks also contain a cosmology of powerful symbols and objects that connect the artist’s personal journey with ancient and new healing practices; diverse spiritual beliefs; and contemporary crises of disease, migration, and experiences of war.

As part of its exhibition in Austin, The Contemporary hosted multiple public sound ceremonies, led by Guadalupe Maravilla and guest sound healers. For this immersive experience, Maravilla transforms the installation into a large-scale vibrational healing instrument. While undergoing cancer treatment, Maravilla was introduced to sound therapy, a healing practice that uses tonal vibrations produced by gongs to improve physical and psychological health. Maravilla is a trained sound healer who regularly holds workshops for undocumented immigrants, cancer patients, and those in need of vibrational healing.

Guadalupe Maravilla: Mariposa Relámpago is commissioned by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. The Contemporary Austin’s presentation of Guadalupe Maravilla: Mariposa Relámpago is organized by Alex Klein, Head Curator & Director of Curatorial Affairs. The sculpture will travel to venues across Texas through a partnership between The Contemporary Austin, Ballroom Marfa, and the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston.