Unearthing Futures

Co-published with the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico, Unearthing Futures/Desenterrando Futuros brings together artists from across the Americas who engage with adobe, a material both ancient and contemporary, to address the complex relationships between land, culture, and the environment. The publication—both a scholarly exploration and an artistic manifesto for the future of earthen architecture—is structured into three core sections: Past, Present, and Future, each of which reflects on adobe’s deep cultural history and its potential for contemporary and future artistic practices.

In the Past section, the historical roots of adobe architecture are explored, beginning with its ancient origins in Arabic cultures and following its migration through Spain to the Americas, and adobe is contextualized within a broader global history, linking regional techniques with international movements.

The Present section highlights artists who are innovating with adobe today, using it not only as a material but as a vehicle for social commentary and community engagement. The Future section turns toward speculative practices, examining how adobe might play a role in addressing urgent global crises, particularly climate change. Contributing artists include Christine Howard Sandoval, rafa esparza, Ronald Rael, Joanna Keane Lopez, Santino Gonzales, and Gabriel Chaile.

The publication includes five essays, six artist interviews, and thirty plates of artwork, exploring these themes in depth. Contributions from leading scholars and environmental advocates—including Nina Bozicnik and Tim Castillo—provide critical insight into adobe’s cultural, environmental, and political significance.