Eva Aguila: Vino de Sangre
Vincent Price Art Museum, April 26, 2025 – September 13, 2025
Curated by Joseph Valencia and Gloria Ortega
In her first solo museum exhibition, artist Eva Aguila researches the histories of the Mission grape and wine production in the Catholic mission system to examine the effects of colonization in what was once “Nueva España,” now Mexico and California. She reflects on the impact of the 1524 decree by Hernán Cortés, Ordenanzas de buen gobierno (“Ordinances of Good Governance”), tracing 500 years of the Mission grape’s historical ties to religious conversion and the subjugation of Indigenous peoples. By combining research with somatic memory—or the ways in which history is carried in the body—Aguila reveals how trauma and resilience are embedded not only within people, but also within the land.
This immersive installation engages the senses and invites visitors to reflect on the legacies of Spanish colonialism in Los Angeles and across the Americas. Video and infrasound recordings from historically significant Missions and wine sites in Guanajuato, Alta California, and the Baja California peninsula activate an embodied listening, allowing visitors to feel, rather than just see or hear, the echoes of the past. Ceramic sculptures of 500-year-old goblet vines recall the physical labor of viticulture, while linens stained with Mission grape ink symbolize the imprint of Catholicism as well as the resilience of Indigenous cultures—past, present, and future. Together, these elements recontextualize histories of agriculture, religion, and nation-building, illuminating new pathways toward learning and collective healing.