Fernando Palma Rodríguez combines his training as an artist and mechanical engineer to create robotic sculptures that utilize custom software to perform narrative choreographies. Central to Palma Rodríguez’s practice is an emphasis on indigenous ancestral knowledge, both as an integral part of contemporary life and a way of shaping the future. Drawing on Aztec mythology and pictorial codices — as well as colonial histories — his works reframe language through the physical activation of these linguistic symbols. He lives in the agricultural region of Milpa Alta outside Mexico City, where he runs Calpulli Tecalco, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Nahua language and culture.

Organized by the Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio Program and supported by the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis. Co-sponsored by the Manetti Shrem Museum.