Chavis Mármol Rides a Mechanical Bomb in "Strange Love" at Artpace, San Antonio
Chavis Mármol, an artist from Hidalgo, Mexico, now residing in Mexico City, has been selected for Artpace's 2026 Fall International Artist-in-Residence Program in San Antonio by Rigoberto Luna. On September 17, he presented "Strange Love," a thought-provoking work drawing from Stanley Kubrick's iconic 1964 film "Dr. Strangelove." The installation features a replica of Little Boy, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, creatively integrated into a structure resembling a rodeo bull made of fiberglass. A billboard surrounding the piece critiques toxic masculinity, referencing Roy A. Gallant’s 1959 literature. The exhibition will be open until January 17, 2027.
Key facts
- Chavis Mármol was selected by Rigoberto Luna for Artpace's Fall 2026 International Artist-in-Residence Program
- "Strange Love" was unveiled on Thursday, September 17
- The work replaces a mechanical bull with a replica of the Little Boy bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945
- The piece references Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film "Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"
- The billboard rocket was inspired by the 1959 book "Man's Reach into Space" by Roy A. Gallant, illustrated by Lee J. Ames
- Mármol was born and raised in Hidalgo, México, and is based in México City, where he runs the studio Todo Woooow
- The mechanical bomb bears the insignia MRML 026 and a spray-painted "Hi!" on its tail
- The exhibition remains on view at Artpace through January 17, 2027
Entities
Artists
- Chavis Mármol
- Rigoberto Luna
- Stanley Kubrick
- Roy A. Gallant
- Lee J. Ames
- Bruce Springsteen
- Steve Earle
- Edwin Starr
- Chris Saucedo
Institutions
- Artpace
- Todo Woooow
- Glasstire
- SpaceX
- FIFA
Locations
- San Antonio
- United States
- Texas
- Hidalgo
- México
- México City
- Hiroshima
- Japan
- Boca Chica
- South Texas