Día de los Muertos is one of the most meaningful holidays for Latinx communities. To honor loved ones who have passed, we invite you to bring a photograph to our altar de muertos ahead of a special viewing and candlelight vigil on November 2, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
In preparation for the event, community members can drop off photographs at the altar de muertos by October 31. The gallery will be open Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Acción Latina, 2958 24th Street.
The altar, created by Oakland artist Gonzalo Hidalgo, is a community activation project that’s part of El Tecolote photojournalist Pablo Unzueta’s solo exhibition, The Memory of Our Skin. The exhibition explores how communities in Santiago, Chile, and Half Moon Bay, California, process collective trauma.
“This altar activation is meant to create space to honor our grief and healing, and to remember those no longer with us,” said Unzueta. “It also acknowledges the ongoing Palestinian genocide, and I encourage people to share their solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
On Día de los Muertos, community members walking along 24th Street will have the opportunity to engage with both the exhibition’s photographs and the community altar in an evening viewing hosted by Unzueta.
The Memory of Our Skin is sponsored by Catchlight, Photowings, El Tecolote and Acción Latina, with prints created by Lightsource.