About the Artwork

Siempre Ha Sido Y Siempre Fue is a sound artwork created by Christopher Garcia for the Atlantic Ave Park new restroom. Garcia's composition intricately layers the sounds of ancient Mesoamerican cultures, employing traditional instruments such as the huilacapiztli, the clay ocarina, the stone marimba, and Raramuri double-sided drums which were integral to Mesoamerican civilizations. These civilizations were notable for their sophisticated approaches to architecture and urban planning, reflected here in the careful curation of sound. Each note and rhythm invites the audience to consider these ancient technologies and the people who developed them, including the legacy of sophisticated sanitation systems that were established by the Mexica Empire in 1325. This connection underscores a continuous line of cultural and technological evolution, illustrating how the past permeates the present. The sound installation offers park visitors a chance to pause and consider the layers of history beneath our modern exteriors, to listen deeply and reflect on the sounds that have shaped human experience across millennia.

Location

570 S Atlantic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90022