The true story behind DIA’s conspiracy-ridden murals

BY ELLE NAEF, ALEXIS KIKOEN, PETER VO ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS

e iconic murals displayed at DIA created by Leo Tanguma have drawn attention from people around the world since the early 1990s. Unfortunately, much of the focus has been on the imagery of destruction rather than the storyline that ends with a vision of world peace.

Along with other elements of DIA (recently rebranded to DEN), conspiracy theories about the murals have gone viral — rumors of Nazi or Illuminati ties, and warnings of the “new world order.” While these claims are unfounded, they have made a signi cant impact on the lives of the artists.

“I need to see what’s wrong in society, and then re ect it in my murals. At the same time, I wanted to re ect what’s beautiful in society and in my community,” Tanguma said.

Twenty-eight years after unveiling the murals, Tanguma spoke to Rocky Mountain PBS at his granddaughter’s home surrounded by family photos and artwork. His daughter and collaborator Leticia Darlina Tanguma was nearby o ering emotional support, welling with pride as her father re ected on his artistic legacy.

“It was a spiritual awakening for me,” he added. “I’ve always been spiritual, I think. But those experiences moved me more to consider that what I had in my abilities was a God-given talent. And I think that was made important in those murals.” e murals at the airport, now temporarily in storage, depict the terrors of war and pollution. Amongst the chaos is a group of sleeping children. From their minds extends a grey mist that turns into a rainbow, leading to a portrayal of an ideal world, entitled “In Harmony with Peace and Nature.”

Despite the e ort Tanguma, Darlina, and their supporters poured into the murals, the type of fame and recognition they received wasn’t what many artists pine for. Since their unveiling, conspiracy theories

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