Pavel Acevedo
Turtle Land, 2021
Woodblock and Serigraph print, ed. of 16
40 x 30 In.

According to the Zapotec story, La tortuga (the turtle) asked a vulture to carry him to meet the Gods. The vulture agreed, but the turtle consistently complained about the vulture’s foul odor during the trip. Annoyed and tired from the turtle’s comments, the vulture dropped the turtle from high above, causing the turtle’s shell to break into a hundred pieces. The Gods felt pity for the turtle and mended the pieces with resin from the Tule tree, creating a mosaic-like shell we see today.

In this case, the image of the turtle symbolizes a compass, documenting the four cardinal directions, setting the tone for the exhibition. North is represented by feathered nahuales (mythical creatures half-human-half animal), pine needles, and the turtle’s head peeking above ground. East and West are blanketed by foliage and water, while blue waves and aquatic nahuales surround the South.