Protean Beings is a performance art piece that grieves the plight of migrants and the environmental destruction of the borderlands with a hope of transmuting their pain into power. Dressed in a mourning cloak and embodying the energy of Coatlicue, the Aztec goddess of life and death, the artist performs a grieving ritual to honor the souls and the land that have suffered at the hands of the U.S. government. The performance spotlights sites along migrant pathways throughout San Diego County and Imperial Valley.

Performance by natalia ventura

Costume by natalia ventura and Antonia Davis

Song written and performed by natalia ventura

Filmed and edited by Angel Esparza