El Caldo is an immersive social installation that invites visitors into an evolving sensory landscape of ancestral memory, collective reflection, and creative expression. The installation is composed of five interactive elements: Film, Mound, Soundscape, Recording Area, and Sculpture—each offering participants a way to engage, contribute, and transform the work throughout the night.

At the heart of the space is The Mound, a 6-foot tall earthen pile, harboring a glowing light sphere, a mirror, and a hidden speaker playing the Soundscape—a continuously looping, two-hour audio composition of whispered dichos (proverbs) and poems in Spanish. Throughout the evening, this soundscape evolves as participants are invited to add their own voices, sharing responses to intimate prompts about dreams, love, and fear.

A Recording Area provides a table and microphone where visitors can record spoken responses or write them on paper. Written responses may be kept private or offered to the collective memory by placing them into the Mound.

A Film projection—a one-hour loop of visual meditations on ancestral memories—plays on a canvas easel, weaving imagery of the past into the present space.

The Sculpture component includes three interactive wooden forms: a monolith, a sundial, and a table. Visitors are encouraged to paint, draw, and leave their marks on these objects, contributing to a shared artistic gesture that will live beyond the festival in a future public exhibition.

About the artist: David Silva is a conceptual artist working in film, sound, and performance. His practice is rooted in storytelling, community collaboration, and the landscapes of Northern New Mexico. Through his Agua y Azúcar Collective, Silva has produced immersive multimedia works, cultural events, and installations that reflect on memory, ritual, and emotion. His work was recently featured in The Paseo 2024 and is the Event Organizer for Taos’ Agua y Azúcar Fiesta.