1 Burn him!
Just in time for the 100th burning of Zozobra, which takes place next Friday at Fort Marcy Park, New Mexico Historical Museumin Santa Fe, opens a new exhibition, Zozobra: A fire that never goes out.
The exhibit, on view through September 30, 2025, explores the fiery legacy of the giant doll in New Mexico. Since 1924, people in Santa Fe have gathered to burn the giant doll, which is filled with messages of trouble and despair from the community. When Old Man Gloom goes up in flames, all of those worries turn to ash, giving people a chance to let go of their fears and start anew. “The questions the exhibit asks are, ‘How did this event come about and how was it sustained?'” says Hannah Abelbeck, co-curator of Zozobra: A fire that never goes out. “Overall, it tries to tell a little bit about the history and context of Zozobra and focuses on the creativity and community effort that goes into a big annual celebration.”
The exhibit, which took about six months to curate, features artistic depictions of Zozobra, including one by Indigenous artist Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo), a collection of pieces on loan from the community, and memorabilia and remnants from previous Zozobra fires. “We have an original fire dancer hat from around 1940,” says Abelbeck. “We have parts of Zozobra that we burned, like some eyes and a fist. Because they were metal, they weren’t completely consumed by the fire, and you can see parts of the real monster.” Attend the opening reception Friday from 5-7 p.m. and watch the screening of a new documentary at 6:15 p.m.
