I wanted to reinterpret this Xoloitzcuintli sculpture as a symbolic guardian at the entrance to Mictlán, the underworld in Mexica mythology.

The idea comes from the spiritual role the Xoloitzcuintli was believed to have in guiding the dead through their journey to the afterlife. Rather than treating the sculpture only as an archaeological object, I imagined it restored to its original purpose: standing at the threshold between the living world and the world of the dead.

The scene places the sculpture beside a portal. Outside the portal is a grounded, realistic cemetery during Día de Muertos; inside is a more magical interpretation of Mictlán, filled with light, marigolds, architecture, candles and a sense of celebration rather than fear. The contrast is meant to represent death not as an ending, but as a passage.

The Xoloitzcuintli becomes the connection between both worlds — a companion, guide and guardian — reflecting the meaning these dogs held for people at the time the sculpture was created.

Original artwork — The Met: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/319243

FLORA project: https://app.flora.ai/join-project/6ba85ee2-d21d-44f6-90dc-886fd3f252ff