About this event
Since 2013, artist Alvaro Enciso has marked the sites of migrant deaths in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands as part of his project Donde Muren los Sueños/Where Dreams Die. Enciso, originally from Columbia, has not only worked to honor the dead, but sought to make visible what he calls “the constant presence of absence” in the Sonoran Desert. Enciso will discuss his practice and the importance of art in the desert landscape with forensic anthropologist Dr. Gabriella Soto (Arizona State University).
what we leave behind: the work of Alvaro Enciso explores the complexities of memory and migrant deaths in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Through the use of sculptures, photography, and found objects, Enciso examines how the Sonoran Desert space is repeatedly marked by migration. This exhibit was curated and installed by William & Mary students in required practicum course for Art History majors, The Curatorial Project (ARTH 331), taught by Assistant Professor of Art History and American Studies Alyssa Quintanilla in Fall 2026.
what we leave behind will be on display in the Andrews Gallery until December 1, 2026.
