Along the Main Loop visitors will find La resistencia de los nopales híbridos: El Susurro del Desierto or The Resistance of the Hybrid Cacti: The Desert’s Whisper, one of two sculptures by Salvador Jimenez-Flores that were installed as part of the Raices & Resistencias exhibition. Like Caminantes which is installed in the East Gallery hedge gardens, this sculpture also depicts a totem-like hybrid form with portraits of the artist and his family members combined with nopal leaves and Mesoamerican symbols. The nopal is a symbol of hope and resilience. Inscriptions are carved into the leaves, including a quote from American writer Octavia Butler from The Parable of the Sower, “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change.”

The cacti in this series are not only symbols of the past or present but also point toward a future where hybrid identities are celebrated and empowered. In Jimenez-Flores’ work, the combination of Rasquache, a concept rooted in Chicano art that celebrates resourcefulness, improvisation, and a do-it-yourself ethos, with futuristic aesthetics reflects a hopeful vision in which Latinx identities are no longer marginalized but are central to the creation of new cultural paradigms. This fusion of the past, present, and future underscores the idea that resilience is not just about survival in the present but also about envisioning a future where marginalized communities reclaim their agency and identity.