Equis, Paula Castillo, 2024
SERVICES PROVIDED: Design coordination, Materials research, Budget management, Engineering coordination and oversight, Fabricator bid process, Fabrication oversight, Installation oversight, Scheduling, Project close-out.
Paula Castillo was selected to create three iconic sculptures for the shared Denver Art Museum and Denver Central Library Campus in Denver, Colorado. The first sculpture, entitled Equis, was installed in May 2024 outside of the Denver Central Library near the intersection of West 14th Ave. and Broadway.
Equis, a significant beacon made from stainless steel and dichroic glass, not only succinctly communicates the Indigenous American intersection with the 16th-century Columbian exchange but also serves as a symbol of the library's active commitment to community equity as evidenced by the library's notable community-oriented renovations.
The journey of the X beacon began with a deep dive into the Uto-Aztecan Nahuatl language, learning to pronounce the word Xicalcoliuhqui, which references Castillo's sculpture to be installed at Denver Art Museum's North Building. This linguistic exploration revealed a fascinating connection-the Nahuatl 'sh' sound was equivalent to the Latin X of the 16th century. The X, a mystical and historical symbol, fittingly translates to 'all are equal' in Spanish, encapsulating the beacon's profound message of inclusivity and equality.
Fast forward to the 21st century and X's journey has amplified this sentiment, resonating with contemporary issues of inclusivity and equality. Latinos in the 90s started to cross out the 'os' in Spanish plural nouns like Latinos. Then, instead of crossing it out, eventually replaced it with an X to create grass roots inclusive language. X also historically marks the spot on the map where the treasure is. Equis is a perfect symbol for the Denver Central Public Library, the most community oriented civic site in all of Denver with its astounding 2,800 daily visitors. Elegant, playful, and human scaled, Equis faces the state capital in an acknowledgment of the critical relationship between democracy and equality.
The second sculpture in the series, entitled Glyph, was installed in September 2024 outside the entrance to the Denver Art Museum’s Ponti building at the corner of West 14th Ave. and Bannock Street.
The final sculpture of the series entitled Trestle will be installed on the plinth at 12th and Acoma facing the Denver Art Museum’s Hamilton Building in 2025.
Select text and images courtesy of Paula Castillo.
