The sculpture I created is an icon for the unresolved issues brought by colonization. The Mexican free-tailed bat is one of the most common bats in North America, and it lived here long before the Southern states became U.S. territory—just as Mexicans were also here long before. The wings are covered in patterns inspired by monarch butterflies, which migrate from Mexico to the U.S. every year. The nose, fangs, Pre-Columbian aesthetics, and ornaments were inspired by the vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), which ranges from northern Mexico to southern Brazil. This bat appears in the myths of many Indigenous peoples and Latin American folktales: represented by the Tayrona of Colombia as an anomalous creature embodied by the shaman, by Camazotz in Mesoamerica, and in modern times as the legendary Chupacabras.
Immigrants are often depicted as “vampires,” accused of draining society, yet bats actually play vital roles in the environment. They are the only pollinators of certain cacti and also help control pests. Pre-Hispanic myths and shamanic figures dressed as bats (Hombres Murciélago) even inspired later creations like Dracula and pre-date Batman. To adapt and be accepted, many immigrants suppress their native languages and attempt to pass as locals. This is why my bat, when viewed from behind, resembles a flower—able to merge with vegetation as a form of protection. The constant search for home by displaced people, immigrants, and refugees is symbolized in its eyes: though bats are blind, this one has houses for eyes, representing the blind search for shelter, guided only by the instinct to survive.
The name of my creature, Pre-Columbian Unlooted Bat or Vampire for the New World, questions the provenance of pre-colonial art housed in “First World” museum collections. It is important to ask who the rightful owners of these First Nations artifacts are and to seek ways to amend past injustices and heal old wounds.
Special thanks to Ann Sandberg, who welded the structure and supported me throughout the process, and to Eric Granquist, who generously shared his expertise in weatherproofing materials. This amazing creature would not have been possible without them.
