What happens when a scientist's research meets an artist's practice?
For Denise Moreno Ramírez, Assistant Director - The Earth League, in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, the answer is Living with Injury, a museum exhibition created with artist Alisha Vásquez and presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson (MOCA Tucson). Other collaborators include: Franc Gabriel Contreras, Alexandra (Alex!) Jimenez, and Dr. Sunaura Taylor.
Exhibition on display from November 14, 2025 to September 27, 2026.
The exhibition brings Moreno Ramírez’s research and community oral histories into an artistic setting, allowing visitors to experience the human impact of environmental contamination through voices, images and art. Rather than simply communicating what the science says, the collaboration creates an opportunity for people to encounter the experiences behind the research.
The work grew from Moreno Ramírez’s research into the environmental history of Arizona and the experiences of communities affected by contamination. This research line is tied to the Voices Unheard: Arizona's Environmental History Project, which was a seminal dissertation research project at the University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science. Learn more, How an Arizona Medical Anthropologist Uses Oral Histories to Add Depth to Environmental Science, and Voices Unheard in Environmental Justice Panel and Documentary Preview.
Moreno Ramírez says the collaboration has opened possibilities for the exhibition to reach audiences beyond the museum. "We were contacted by the Arizona Community Foundation, which is bringing Alisha Vasquez and my museum display from the Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson to the ASU Ten West meeting focused on extreme heat, called the 122 Degree Conference, so people can be immersed in the experiences of those injured by contamination. The museum display Living with Injury has been so successful that there is talk of creating an exhibit book and of more travel within Arizona or beyond."
Moreno Ramirez adds: "For most of my scientific training, I have been waiting to get a break into the artist world. I love art and how it serves as a tool for critical observation of the world and behavior. I like the feelings and emotions it can cause, because once you do that, you know they are paying attention. I wish my peer-reviewed publication caused that emotional upheaval, since then I would definitely capture their attention."
Moreno Ramirez offers the following acknowledgments:
Thank you to Alisha Vasquez, the artist, for not being too weary of a scientist.
Learn more about Living with Injury, and read additional coverage and context from AZ Luminaria, BorderLore, and Tucson Spotlight.
