Standing figure c. 16th century

Editor: We’re looking at a ceramic sculpture called "Standing Figure," created around the 16th century by the Tlatilco people. It has such a weighty presence, yet there’s this intriguing void at the center. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: What strikes me is the deliberate placement of that void. It’s a powerful statement, especially when considering the historical context. Indigenous art from this period was often deeply connected to concepts of creation, spirituality, and the cyclical nature of life. Does the emptiness at its core speak to the experience of existing under the looming presence of colonialism? Or of trauma, where there's a kind of hollowness one may feel internally? The void defies being confined. What kind of identity would this work possess? Editor: So, are you saying this could be about a kind of cultural absence or disruption of identity? The hole seems almost violent somehow, a forced emptiness. Curator: Exactly. And that resonates powerfully with feminist theory. We could also explore ideas around body politics: where do women fit in relation to colonial constructions and demands, then, and where do indigenous identities figure into today's cultural constructions? It’s also crucial to consider what hasn't been written, to consider gaps, what might be seen as an omission but might be a powerful choice by the artist, their community, the culture that shaped the work. Editor: I hadn't considered it that way at all! Seeing it as an intentional and loaded statement of identity and potential lack of power, instead of just an aesthetic choice, really shifts my perspective. Curator: These objects speak volumes. And they urge us to ask more complicated questions of the social and political underpinnings in both historical and current times. Hopefully viewers will begin to think more about who we center, what the role of gender might be, and whether identity must be static. Editor: This has given me a lot to consider. Thank you.