Artefacto 37- unearthed plastic 860 in / 2024
Elgin Street Studios
Artefacto 37 is a light-based sculpture assembled from found materials: two steel cubes, a segment of clear plastic piping unearthed from the ground, and a simple bulb with wiring. Weathered over time, the pipe has taken on a warm, waxy translucence, casting a golden glow when illuminated. The form recalls the Almena de Tlahuiscalpantecuhtli, an alabaster architectural finial unearthed in Teotihuacan and associated with Tlaloc and Venus. Industrial piping, part of Houston’s water infrastructure, resonates with ancient water systems of central Mexico, linking contemporary urban flow to deep histories of land, ritual, and resource circulation.
