Vol. 14: Alien
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Vol. 14 — Alien
Not since perhaps the 1950s or early ’80s have aliens—the skinny, gray-green, bug-eyed ones—stormed the culture as they did this year. The contemporary art world has been so packed with references to cosmic visitors that Art in America ran the June headline “Why is Everyone Obsessed with UFOs Right Now?”
We selected “Alien” as the theme of Southwest Contemporary: Vol. 14 before the craze began. At the time, we were concerned with the term’s varied regional associations: could flying saucers and tense borderlands politics fit in the same issue? Would retro tales of Roswell and Area 51 eclipse a more layered discourse on a concept that has been politically weaponized and artistically reclaimed in equal measure?
The stories in this issue cover zany and serious angles on the theme, sometimes within the same piece, revealing a contiguous—and deeply human—conversation. In these pages, crop circles emerge from center-pivot irrigation and makeshift tools. Mysterious messages emanate from radios and automated phone lines, resolving into human voices. Strange projectiles abound, from SpaceX rockets to a glitter-encrusted frisbee, but they’re not exactly unidentified. The aliens aren’t among us, they are us.
Like any good cryptid, the space alien evokes real fears and desires, mirroring humanity despite its designation as the quintessential other. When a human labels another an alien—as a legal status, social pejorative, or celebratory cultural signifier—it ties both parties together, forming a shared destiny.
Long a mecca for true believers, the Southwest may be “out there,” but we are not alone. Thanks for exploring this exquisite corner of the universe with us.
Edited by: Natalie Hegert.
Guest juror: Leslie Moody Castro, independent curator and writer .
Contributors: Emma S. Ahmad, Graciela Blandon, Christina Cook, Angella d’Avignon, Jordan Eddy, Julian Francolino, Madison Garay, Matthew David Goodwin, Natalie Hegert, Scotti Hill, Alejandra Lara, Camille LeFevre, Kathryne Lim, Rica Maestas, Raymundo Muñoz, Adele Oliveira, Max Stone, Emilie Trice, Lynn Trimble, and Sage Vogel.
Cover art: Jess Johnson, Every Atom Made Flesh, left panel of triptych, 2018, pen, fiber-tip markers, acrylic paint, and gouache on paper, 41.5 x 88.5 in.
Vol. 14 — Alien — Fall-Winter 2026-27
ISSN 2766-3000
Edition of 10,000.
7.5 x 9.5 in, 120 pages.
Perfect bound, offset-printed, full color on coated paper.
Made in New Mexico.
Printed in Colorado.
Publication date: September 4, 2026.
Please allow 5-10 business days for shipping and handling.
