Through visual art and poetry, ‘Amai Mo ‘Am Ṣo:ṣon G Cewagĭ / El lugar donde se forman las nubes / The Place Where Clouds Are Formed examines the intersection of spirituality, migration, and current and historical policies that have impacted the borderlands of the Sonoran Desert. Featuring photographs made in partnership with the Traditional O’odham Leaders and communities from Sonora, Mexico, and Southern Arizona, this multilingual exhibit (in O'odham, Spanish, and English) brings together the work of Ofelia Zepeda (Tohono O’odham); Gareth Smit; Martín Zícari; Amber Lee Ortega (Hia Ced O’odham and Tohono O’odham); Terrol Dew Johnson (Tohono O’odham), Chris Lasch and Alice Wilsey; Su:k Chu:vak Fulwilder (Onk Akimel O’odham, Xalchidom Piipaash, Tlingit, Aleut and Pomo); and Monica Martínez.
This exhibit is on display in the Poetry Center's Jeremy Ingalls Gallery and the Center for Creative Photography's Alice Chaiten Baker Interdisciplinary Gallery.
Photo credit: Organ Pipe Cactus, Sonoyta, México, 2018 by Gareth Smit
Read more in O'odham
‘Amai Mo ‘Am Ṣo:ṣon G Cewagĭ, ‘I:da ha’icu cipkana mat ‘am ‘i-ṣo:ṣon 2018, ‘mat ‘idam Ofelia Zepeda (Tohono O’odham), kc Gareth Smit, kc Martín Zícari ‘am ‘i-e-we:mt k ‘am hab ju:, ‘ats ‘am ‘ep o ‘e-ku:pio k ‘am ‘ep o ‘e-ce:g April 4, 2024, ‘amai University of Arizona Poetry Center kc ‘am ‘ep Center for Creative Photography’s Alice Chaiten Baker Interdisciplinary Gallery. ‘I:da ‘at wuḍ o hetasp ce:gida mat ‘am hab o ‘e-ju:.
‘I:da cipkana ‘o g pipigculta ‘am ‘e-ce:gidas mat ‘am hab ‘e-ju: ha-we:m g Traditional O’odham Leaders (TOL) kc ‘idam ki:kdag Quitovac, Cu:wĭ ‘I-ge:ṣk (San Francisquito), kc Sonoyta—Ki:kdag mo ‘am hab cu:cuig Sonora, Mexico—kc ‘am ha’ap ‘ep Quitobaquito kc we:sko ‘i-we:gaj g Southern Arizona jeweḍga. ‘I:da ha’icu ce:gida ‘at g ‘o’ohona we:m ‘am ‘e-na:to kc ‘am ‘o’ohanas kc ‘am ‘ep ‘e-bei g ñi’okĭ kaidag ‘am O’odham kc Milga:n ñi’okĭ ‘eḍ k ‘amjeḍ ‘am we:s ‘ep ‘i-e-da:mc Ju:kam ñi’okĭ ‘eḍ.
‘Amai Mo ‘Am Ṣo:ṣon G Cewagĭ, ‘at hab bei g ‘i-we:mtaḍag hab ‘amjeḍ g Magnum Foundation k ha’ap s-ap ‘am hab ‘e-ju: k haba hemuc ‘ab we:nags g University of Arizona Confluence Center’s Fronteridades cipkana mat hegam hab bei g ‘i-we:mtaḍag ‘ab ‘amjeḍ g Mellon Foundation.
Hab ha-amjeḍ ‘idam ‘o’ohona kc ha’icu na:toidag kc pipigcul ‘at g, ‘Amai Mo ‘Am Ṣo:ṣon G Cewagĭ, ‘am si-gawul ‘i-ju: mo has masma hab ‘e-ñeid hegai cekṣan. Gamhu hab ‘i-ju: g pi ke:g cekĭtoidag kc pi ke:g ha’icu ‘a:ga mo hemu‘am si ‘e-hekaj mat hekid g ceksan ‘am o ‘e-a’agad k heg ‘am hab ju: ha-a:ga, kc ha- ñi’okĭ, kc ha-cegĭtoidag ‘ab ha-amjeḍ hegam mo am ki: ‘amai.
‘I:da cipkana mat hemu ‘am hab o ‘e-ju: ‘o ‘am ce:gidas mo has masma wuḍ si has ha’icu g ‘i-we:mtaḍag cipkana kc ‘am ‘ep ba’ic ‘i-himc mo has masma ‘ab ‘i-e-ñeid ‘i:da cekṣan hab ‘amjeḍ g ci:piadag kc hejel ‘e-ma:cidag k ‘ab ‘i-we:nad g ha’i ‘ep g hemajkam ha-ñi’okĭ mo has masma ‘ab ‘i-ñeid hegam ‘i:da cekṣan. ‘Idam mat g ha-ñi’okĭ ‘ab ‘i-we:nad k ‘am ba’ic ‘i-tasog mo hascu ‘am hab cem ‘elid mat we:hejid ‘am hab ‘e-ju: g, ‘Amai Mo ‘Am Ṣo:ṣon G Cewagĭ, o wuḍ Amber Lee Ortega (Hia Ced O’odham kc Tohono O’odham), Terrol Dew Johnson (Tohono O’odham) Chris Lasch kc Alice Wilsey, Su:k Chu:vak Fulwilder (Onk Akimel O’odham, Xalchidom Piipaash, Tlingit, Aleut kc Pomo), kc Monica Martínez.
‘I:da cipkana ‘o hab ‘e-elid mat ‘am gawul o ‘i-ju: mo has masma hab ‘i-e-neid hegai cekṣan hemu k ‘am o a: g ha-a:ga kc ha-wohocuda kc ha-juñhimdag hegam mo ‘am ki: kc hegam mat ‘am ‘i-ci:pia ‘amai cekṣan oid.
‘Amai Mo ‘Am Ṣo:ṣon G Cewagĭ, ‘at mu’i ha’icu na:toidag ‘ab ‘i-e-we:nad k ‘am hab ‘e-ju: kc ‘am si-ñeid g wohocuda, kc, ce:piada, kc hemu cihanig kc hekihu cihanig mo has masma ‘am hab cu’ig k has masma ‘ab ha’icu ‘e-juñhim ‘amai Milgan kc Jujkam ha-cekṣan ‘eḍ mo ‘an wawañ Sonoran Desert ‘am.
Read more in Spanish
El lugar donde se forman las nubes es un proyecto colaborativo iniciado en 2018 por Ofelia Zepeda (Tohono O'odham), Gareth Smit y Martín Zícari y abrirá su quinta entrega el 4 de abril de 2024, simultáneamente en el Centro de Poesía de la Universidad de Arizona y en la Galería Interdisciplinaria Alice Chaitén Baker del Centro para la Fotografía Creativa. El proyecto presenta fotografías realizadas en colaboración con los Líderes Tradicionales O'odham y comunidades de los pueblos de Quitovac, Cu:wĭ I-ge:sk (San Francisquito) y Sonoyta—pueblos ubicados en Sonora, México—así como Quitobaquito y las tierras circundante en el sur de Arizona. Imágenes y esculturas conversan con poemas escritos y grabados en o’odham e inglés y traducidos al español.
El lugar donde se forman las nubes es un colectivo interdisciplinario artístico que examina la intersección de la espiritualidad, la migración y las políticas actuales e históricas que han impactado las zonas fronterizas del desierto de Sonora. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo reorientar las narrativas de este lugar fuera de la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México y las preocupaciones geopolíticas hacia las historias genealógicas y las tradiciones religiosas y culturales de quienes viven y han migrado aquí.
El lugar donde se forman las nubes comenzó con una subvención de la Fundación Magnum. Actualmente forma parte del proyecto Fronteridadesdel Centro de Confluencia de la Universidad de Arizona, que es posible gracias a una subvención de la Fundación Mellon.
Esta iteración del proyecto explora la importancia del trabajo colaborativo e incorpora más perspectivas sobre la migración y la identidad a través de nuevos colaboradores cuya práctica amplía de manera crítica el alcance de los temas en El lugar donde se forman las nubes. Entre los poetas, fotógrafos y artistas que colaboran se encuentran Amber Lee Ortega (Hia Ced O'odham y Tohono O'odham), Terrol Dew Johnson (Tohono O'odham), Chris Lasch y Alice Wilsey, Su:k Chu:vak Fulwilder (Onk Akimel O 'odham, Xalchidom Piipaash, Tlingit, Aleut y Pomo), y Mónica Martínez. A través de palabras, objetos e imágenes, El lugar donde se forman las nubes altera las narrativas de “crisis” fronteriza, reemplazando los mitos del estado-nación con narrativas sobre las experiencias vividas por las comunidades fronterizas.
Read more in English
The Place Where Clouds Are Formed, a collaborative project initiated in 2018 by Ofelia Zepeda (Tohono O’odham), Gareth Smit, and Martín Zícari will open its fifth installment on April 4, 2024, simultaneously at the University of Arizona Poetry Center and the Center for Creative Photography’s Alice Chaiten Baker Interdisciplinary Gallery. The project features photography made in partnership with the Traditional O’odham Leaders (TOL) and communities from villages in Quitovac, Cu:wĭ I-ge:sk (San Francisquito), and Sonoyta—towns located in Sonora, Mexico—as well as Quitobaquito and the surrounding lands in Southern Arizona. Images and sculptures are in conversation with poems written and recorded in O’odham and English and translated into Spanish.
The Place Where Clouds Are Formed is an interdisciplinary arts collective that examines the intersection of spirituality, migration, and current and historical policies that have impacted the borderlands of the Sonoran Desert. This work aims to reorient narratives of this place away from the U.S.–Mexico border and geopolitical concerns and towards the genealogical stories and religious and cultural traditions of those who live and migrate here.
The Place Where Clouds are Formed began with grant support from the Magnum Foundation. It is currently part of the University of Arizona Confluence Center’s Fronteridades project, which is made possible through a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
This iteration of the project explores the significance of collaborative work and incorporates further perspectives on migration and identity via new collaborators whose practice critically expands the purview of themes in The Place Where Clouds are Formed. Collaborating poets, photographers, and artists include Amber Lee Ortega (Hia Ced O’odham and Tohono O’odham), Terrol Dew Johnson (Tohono O’odham) Chris Lasch and Alice Wilsey, Su:k Chu:vak Fulwilder (Onk Akimel O'odham, Xalchidom Piipaash, Tlingit, Aleut and Pomo), and Monica Martínez. Through word, object, and image, The Place Where Clouds Are Formed disrupts “crisis” narratives of the border, replacing myths of the nation-state with narratives about the lived experiences of borderland communities.