Arleene Correa Valencia - South Gallery: Códice Del Perdedor / The Losing Man’s Codex

Artist statement:

The title of the exhibition is Codice Del Perdedor / The Losing Man’s Codex, in which all the works are made on the same Amate paper that our ancestors used to write their stories of migration. I’m particularly inspired by the Codex Boturini, which depicts the migration from Aztlán to the creation of Mexico-Tenochtitlán. This codex illustrates mothers carrying their children on their backs while on the search for safety and home. When I saw this, I was reminded of how our story of migration is a universal experience that never ends. The Losing Man’s Codex address the battle between good and bad, and everyone who stands between the two sides. 

When I was younger my father told me a story of how losing is a noble act, one to be proud of, one that gifts us with joy and the opportunity to learn- a horizontal state of being in which all who lose stand together in community, while that who wins stands alone. I made this work with the intention of reflecting on the current state of our community being hunted down by ICE, but also to celebrate our strength and resilience- to take pride in the beautiful ways in which we can come together and protect each other. 

Correa Valencia writes that “people often ask me how having access to my home country has changed my practice. At first, I had trouble answering this question, because it feels like people are digging for a feel-good life changing story, when the reality is that being able to finally go home comes with a lot of guilt, loss, pain, and suffering because my family can’t come with me. But in a physical sense the work has changed because I’ve started this obsession with Amate paper. Made from the tree bark of the Jonote tree this paper carries the roots and earth of our homelands. After seeing one of the oldest Codex written by our ancestors in the Museo de Antropología, I knew that it was the right foundation to tell my family’s story of survival. These scrolls are scrolls of resistance, proof of our existence and show us the strength of our roots. We will survive, in the fire, wind, and water. The earth will hold us and our children as we continue to seek safety and a place to call home.”