Scene from Meow Wolf Santa Fe’s House of Eternal Return from its latest addition: Necro Techno Flesh Complex. Photo by Kate Russell/Courtesy Meow Wolf
Scene from Meow Wolf Santa Fe’s House of Eternal Return from its latest addition: Necro Techno Flesh Complex. Photo by Kate Russell/Courtesy Meow Wolf
Scene from Meow Wolf Santa Fe’s House of Eternal Return from its latest addition: Necro Techno Flesh Complex. Photo by Kate Russell/Courtesy Meow Wolf
MEOW WOLF News:
SANTA FE — Meow Wolf Santa Fe’s House of Eternal Return continues to evolve with new artwork. The original Meow Wolf exhibition presents its latest addition: Necro Techno Flesh Complex, a fully immersive permanent installation by internationally acclaimed, New Zealand-born artist Jess Johnson.
About the Installation
In Necro Techno Flesh Complex, Johnson’s meticulously hand-drawn worlds are brought to life in three dimensions, transforming the static into dynamic. The installation is a sensory experience, pulling visitors into a reality loop that blurs the lines between imagination and reality. The intricate mosaics and hand-crafted columns retain a human quality that Johnson believes is essential to creating a world that feels alive.
The installation, a fusion of 2D drawings, 3D physical environments, and digital animations, brings Johnson’s surreal worlds into a tangible, all-encompassing experience for visitors.
“We are continually adding new installations to discover so every guest can have a unique experience each time they visit,” said Susan Garbett, General Manager of Meow Wolf Santa Fe. “Necro Techno Flesh Complex is a 360 degree journey into the imagination of a highly disciplined and fascinating artist.”
About the Artist
Artist Jess Johnson . Photo by Kate Russell/Courtesy Meow Wolf
“Visiting Meow Wolf mostly felt like I was time traveling—going back to being a child,” Johnson shares. “It was a strange type of interaction, as I wasn’t really in the moment, but instead imagining how I would respond to the experience as a kid.”
This sense of childlike wonder and imagination is central to Johnson’s artistic practice, which she refers to as “a slow dredging process”. Her creative process begins with drawings that slowly evolve into larger, more complex manifestations—be it installations, digital animations, or even fashion.
The title of the installation, Necro Techno Flesh Complex, is an enigmatic blend of words that, according to Johnson, do not have overt meanings. Instead, they are fragments of a reconstructed language inspired by Russell Hoban’s post-apocalyptic novel Riddley Walker, where language itself is shattered and reassembled in a new form.
“If you want to build a new world, you need a new language to describe it,” Johnson explains.
Johnson’s journey to Meow Wolf is part of a larger personal and artistic adventure. After a year-long residency at the esteemed Roswell Artist In Residence Program (RAiR), she is returning to Roswell in 2024 to establish a more permanent base. This move marks a significant shift for the artist, who has spent years traveling between residencies and creative spaces around the world.
“I’d like to make New Mexico my home,” Johnson reveals. “Spending one year in Roswell was the longest I’ve stayed in one place, and I wasn’t ready to leave. The landscape and the small community activated something really good and peaceful in me.”
Visitors to Meow Wolf Santa Fe’s House of Eternal Return can explore Necro Techno Flesh Complex and experience the surreal, otherworldly environments that have made Johnson one of the most intriguing artists of her generation. The installation is now open to the public and promises to be a unique and transformative experience for all who enter.
