OPC: Huehuecoyotl (Fernando Palma Rodríguez)

Visiting artist Huehuecoyotl (Fernando Palma Rodríguez) will give an in-depth presentation of his artistic practice spanning over three decades. Combining his early training as mechanical engineer and as an artist, Huehuecoyotl ‘s installations and robotic sculptures utilize custom software to perform complex, narrative choreographies that respond to issues facing indigenous communities in Mexico, addressing human and land rights, violence, and urgent environmental crises. Accompanied by visiting curator and Lit & Luz Visual Arts Director CDMX, Esteban King, the two together will discuss the themes and concerns behind Huehuecoyotl’s artistic practice.

Huehuecoyotl (Fernando Palma Rodríguez) lives in the agricultural region of Milpa Alta outside Mexico City, where he runs Calpulli Tecalco, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Nahua language and culture. Central to Huehuecoyotl’s practice is an emphasis on indigenous ancestral knowledge, both as an integral part of contemporary life and a way of shaping the future.

Presented by the Open Practice Committee in the Department of Visual Arts alongside the 2023 Lit & Luz Festival and in collaboration with the Media Arts and Design Program at the University of Chicago.