Eva Aguila: Bajo la Huerta

Where does an avocado come from, and what does it cost the place that grows it? Los Angeles artist Eva Aguila takes that question on in Bajo la Huerta (Beneath the Orchard), a newly commissioned performance lecture presented by Active Cultures. It is one of the more unusual things to do in Los Angeles this month, and it sits at the thoughtful end of the city's art calendar.

When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, 7 to 9 PM (also Sunday, Nov. 8) Where: 2220 Arts + Archives, 2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles Price: Not listed on the event page

What the performance covers

Aguila built the work from research she carried out in Michoacan, her family's home state. The piece blends video, sound and image to follow the fruit across a long arc. It starts with the avocado's prehistoric spread by giant ground sloths, then moves to the USDA agricultural explorers who carried it north.

From there it travels to Tingambato, an archaeological site in the heart of Michoacan's avocado belt, where roughly 90 hectares of orchards now cover ancient ruins. The story then returns to Southern California, where a mailman accidentally propagated the Hass cultivar that became a global commodity.

Interviews with scientists and researchers across the region thread through the piece. Aguila returns to Michoacan to look at how US demand for the crop has brought harm to ecosystems and community life. She asks what it means to find a "superfood" at the grocery store all year, and what that convenience costs the people and land behind it.

Why it is worth the trip

A performance lecture sits somewhere between a talk and a show, so expect a guided walk through an argument rather than a fixed plot. The material is personal and political at once: extraction and erasure on one side, land, memory and belonging on the other. If you have ever stood in a produce aisle and picked up an avocado without a second thought, this is built for you.

2220 Arts + Archives is the Beverly Boulevard arts space hosting the program, a fitting setting for a project that leans on screens, sound and spoken word. The program is scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday, which gives you a second chance if your weekend plans shift. For anyone sorting through LA events this weekend, the Saturday evening slot makes an easy start to a night out.

Practical info

The event page does not list a ticket price, so check the link below for current details before you go. Street parking around Beverly Boulevard can be tight in the evening, so leave extra time or use a rideshare. Doors and seating details are best confirmed on the official listing, and the Sunday time may differ from Saturday's.

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