Rigo 23’s work proposes a sister city, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (Oglala Oyate, in Lakota) located in the southwest corner of South Dakota. Given that a Sister City is defined as an official City relationship established to develop long-term civic linkages, promote cultural understanding, and stimulate economic development, Rigo 23’s work draws attention to the linkages that are needed between local citizens and the surviving members of the many Native American Nations existing within our country’s borders.
Rigo 23 has exhibited his work internationally for over 20 years, placing murals, paintings, sculptures, and tile work in public situations where viewers are encouraged to examine their relationship to their community, their role as unwitting advocates of public policy or their place on a planet occupied by many other living things. Rigo 23’s works live both as artworks and as thoughtful public interventions.
He has created installations for the Lyon Biennale and the Shenzhen/Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture. His sculpture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos was installed on the campus of San Jose State University in 2005.