Guadalupe Maravilla exhibition explores migration and healing through newly commissioned work

The Center for the Arts’ newest exhibition, “Medicine Monster,” features works by internationally recognized artist Guadalupe Maravilla, whose multidisciplinary practice centers on sculpture, sound, and communal healing. At the center of the exhibition is a new sculpture from Maravilla, commissioned by the Center for the Arts specifically for the exhibition.

On view through Saturday, Nov. 21, the solo exhibition opens with a reception on Wednesday, Sept. 9, from 4-6 p.m. in the center’s Grand Lobby. Ahead of the reception, Maravilla will participate in an artist talk with Brian Holcombe, the center’s director of visual arts, from 3-4 p.m. in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre.

The galleries and all related events are free and open to the public.

The exhibition includes a new work from Maravilla’s “Disease Throwers,” a series of shrine-like sculptures that also function as healing instruments. Commissioned by the Center for the Arts, “Hamaca de Metal (Metal Hammock) Disease Thrower” is a sculpture that takes the form of a metal hammock inspired by and fabricated from Maravilla’s childhood hammock from El Salvador.

Reimagined as a healing instrument, the hammock is filled with objects Maravilla collected while retracing, as an adult, the migratory route he first traveled at the age of eight while fleeing the Salvadoran Civil War. Over two and a half months, he journeyed unaccompanied through Mexico to reunite with his family in the United States. During healing ceremonies, Maravilla activates the sculpture through sound, using vibration, listening, and collective experience to invite participants to consider their own capacity for healing.

Surrounding the installation are five retablos recounting key moments from Maravilla’s journey. The works draw on the tradition of the ex-voto, devotional paintings on tin created in gratitude for miracles and accompanied by a written account. Maravilla writes the narratives for each retablo, recalling experiences such as crossing the border at Tijuana, returning to El Salvador at age 16, and visiting the Izalco volcano.

He develops each composition digitally before commissioning Daniel Vilchis and his father, Alfredo Vilchis, third- and fourth-generation retablo painters from Mexico City, to paint the works by hand. Maravilla then surrounds each painting with a sculptural frame, incorporating molded forms and objects collected or commissioned during his retraced journey.

Decades after the migration depicted in these works, Maravilla was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. He connects the illness to the trauma of war and displacement and their lasting effects on the body. During cancer treatment, he encountered sound healing and began incorporating sound into his artistic practice. Sound has become an essential part of Maravilla’s work, including healing ceremonies that create spaces for reflection, connection, and collective care.

Born in El Salvador in 1976, Maravilla works across sculpture, painting, installation, and performance, grounding his practice in activism and healing. His autobiographical work frequently references his childhood migration to the United States and considers the physical effects of trauma and the experiences of immigrants.

His work has been featured in solo exhibitions at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. His work is also featured in the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, on view through Nov. 22, 2026.

The exhibition is supported in part by a gift from Juan and Kara Espinoza.

Related events

Take a deep dive into the exhibition with the center’s monthly noontime curator tour, “Beyond the Frame.” Join the center’s director of visual arts Brian Holcombe on the second Thursday of every month. Starting promptly at noon in the Grand Lobby, the tours are free and open to the public.

Holcombe will provide expert insight and contextualization, offer behind-the-scenes glimpses into the acquisition and installation processes, and answer participant questions. Learn more about the artists featured in the galleries and their works, including historical and thematic contexts, and be inspired to look at art and the creative process in new ways.

There will be two tours offered on Thursday, Oct. 8, and Thursday, Nov. 12. Please note that there will not be a "Beyond the Frame” tour on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Visiting the galleries

Located at 190 Alumni Mall, the Center for the Arts’ galleries are open on Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For questions, accommodations, or to request a group tour, please contact Savannah Penven at spenven@vt.edu.

Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. When not staffed for a special event, visitors may park in the garage by taking a ticket at entry and paying with Visa or Mastercard upon exit. Find more parking details online.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jonathan Boulter at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email jboulter@vt.edu during regular business hours.