ON THE OVERFLOW FORMS OF THE COLORADO RIVER DELTA:
CERRO PRIETO
Collective exhibition and archival research presentation
20-28.06.2024
@ Casa de la Cultura Mexicali
Mexicali, Mexico
Cynthia Hopper
Hugo Fermé
Jessica Sevilla
Karina Villalobos
Pastizal Zamudio
Mayté Miranda
Like rocks, volcanoes hold silences that speak more than language. Although some volcanoes appear inanimate, they express themselves through ruptures, rumblings, and slides that span large stretches of time. The extinct Cerro Prieto volcano has a complex language of its own. It is surrounded by a fault system that opens up the earth with phenomena such as fumaroles, geysers, and mud volcanoes. This geological landscape moves in affinity with the water of the Colorado River. With each overflow, the volcanoes spewed lava, mud, and fire into the air, simultaneously creating fields surrounded by sulfurous vapors. It was a coalescence of natural forces in constant dialogue.
However, with energy extraction from the geothermal field, these manifestations have been irreversibly interrupted. In the 1970s, Cerro Prieto transitioned from being a volcano to becoming one of the first geothermal energy systems in the world, now producing a significant amount of electricity that powers the state of Baja California. Through archival research and explorations, this exhibition presents the different geological temporalities that form the Cerro Prieto landscape, from its deep past to its current state.
As part of the curatorial process, six artists were invited to collectively explore sites such as the geyser in the Sierra Cucapá, the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Plant, and the mud volcanoes in the Imperial Valley. These explorations triggered reflections on geological listening, personal experiences in these sites, and the water-energy relationship that continues to articulate these landscapes.
Curation and research: Rosela del Bosque
Exhibition design: Sofía Aguirre
Poster design: Rosela del Bosque
Sound edit: SACH.
Images: Sigfredo González
With the support of Secretaria de Cultura de Baja California through Programa de Estímulos a la Creación y Desarrollo Artístico (PECDA) Baja California 2023-24.
This curatorial project is part of Archivo Familiar del Río Colorado.
Exhibition view of the recollected archival materials on Cerro Prieto and the Salton Sea region. 
Close-up of the archival materials and rocks recollected. The title “They Confirm Installation of the Geothermal Plant” with images and volcanic rock from the Cerro Prieto crater.
View of the archival and photographic materials taken from the Cerro Prieto volcano. In the foreground, is the video by artist Cynthia Hopper titled “Cerro Prieto Geothermic Power Plant”.
“Cerro Prieto Geothermic Power Plant” two-channel video by artist Cynthia Hopper.
Close-up to a ceramic sculpture titled “What secrets does a fracture reveal, a burst?” by artist Mayté Miranda.
Closeup to a series of analog photographs taken in the Cucapá Geyser printed over acetate by artist Pastizal Zamudio titled “Destierro”. 
“Once upon a time in la Laguna Volcano” by artist Karina Villalobos. Photograph printed on plotter of Volcano Lake taken in the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Plant.
During the 1970s to 1990s, various U.S. intelligence agencies, including the DIA and CIA, trained people with alleged paranormal abilities to obtain information about threats to the United States. The SUN STREAK program focused on two practices: psychokinesis (physical actions through mental powers) and remote viewing (perceptions unexplainable by known sensory means). The objective was to gather information on science, technology, inaccessible sites, and nuclear weaponry. Between 1988 and 1991, two agents conducted remote viewing exercises from Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Plant. This series of drawings and notes depicted a vibrant and explosive landscape. 
Photograph by artist Hugo Fermé titled “Órganos terrestres”. The images show the heat and depth of the geyser in Sierra Cucapá; “Illustration of comment on timescales; Visual interpretation of conversation with Ing. Victor Gallardo” photograph by artist Jessica Sevilla. ”The Cahuilla Seismic Sea Graphical” intervened photograph by artist Jessica Sevilla. This image is an interpretation from a conversation with Ing. Victor Gallardo, a geologist who works in the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Plant.
Frontal exhibition view.