Marco Aviña: IN DIOS WE TRUST, TEZCATLIPOCA

In dios we trust, Tezcatlipoca, is a series of sixteen mixed media paintings in cotton canvas and denim, mounted in a manner reminiscent of amulets, stretched over wooden frames.

Each painting allegorically represents a passage dedicated to the divine entity Tezcatlipoca, known as the "Smoking Black Mirror."

Tezcatlipoca is considered the most powerful and majestic deity in Nahuatl mythology. He is the giver and taker of prosperity, the arbiter of justice, the embodiment of fate and existence. As a pantheistic deity, Tezcatlipoca is the master of all things, he gives body and soul to everything. Tezcatlipoca is what persists before and after death.

This series uses the figure of Tezcatlipoca as a central element to construct a visual narrative that intertwines elements of ancient cosmogony, the history of Mexican painting, and symbols from popular culture. By means of these layers, it creates new symbolic interpretations. The deity is reinterpreted in a contemporary context to revitalize a myth that has remained central to local cultural memory: the return of Quetzalcóatl. This story establishes the arrival of this force in moments of crisis and cosmic reconfiguration. In the case of present-day Mexico, the series alludes to normalized violence—whether mediated, political, social, aesthetic, or cultural—while invoking the terrifying reflection of the Smoking Mirror. By embracing duality, it challenges traditional ideas of progress, encouraging viewers to shift their perspective and explore the depths of darkness. In this nocturnal realm, darkness symbolizes potential for renewal, unconventional paths, and the chance to envision a different future.