Who the hell is Bill Rodgers? One of the writers of the narrative attached to art collective Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return (1352 Rufina Circle, 395-6369), that’s who. Rodgers, along with a team of five others, created the mysterious story of the Pastores, the family whose house y’all will explore should you check out the installation. And since MW is the hot topic these days, we figured we’d throw some Qs his way.
Without spoilers, can you give us a broad idea of the story?
The family is gifted with supernatural powers of creation, [and] the chaotic energy inside their home builds up and breaks the universe. What you see when you walk around the the exhibition are the physical manifestations of the characters' thoughts, memories and dreams.
Is there anything in particular you think people should be on the lookout for when they're checking out the house?
Something happened in the dining room. It was so powerful that it melted the chandelier and warped the bathroom on the second floor. There's a residual sonic energy floating around the room that causes the lights to flicker and the table to shake.
How does that narrative fit into the overall experience, and what advice would you give to exhibitgoers to get the most out of that?
We wanted to show that the different installations in the exhibit all share a common origin and are unified conceptually. Our goal was to create a sense of depth, to show that each installation casts a long shadow in the lives of our characters. The exhibition is maximalist, and story is a way to enhance that because we're taking up mental real estate in the minds of our audience. You're walking around a novel, and story is everywhere. It can be either in a character's journal, on the television, stuffed in a drawer or hidden in the wallpaper. Even the books lining a character's shelf are there for a reason.
Santa Fe Reporter