unseen territories

Unseen Territories is not a story about permission. It’s a declaration. And you're invited to witness it.

Unseen Territories is a documentary and community-driven performance project that reimagines public space and the stories it carries. In Las Vegas, on Southern Paiute land, fourteen BIPOC artists challenge the colonial symbols that dominate the city, creating work that asserts identity, memory, and presence.

The project treats artistic practice as a form of witness, showing how acts of creation can preserve histories and lived experiences that have long been marginalized. As the flags are made and brought into public view, they animate the landscape with joy, resilience, and pride, insisting that the complexity of these communities cannot be simplified or erased. By embracing this joyful resistance, the artists transform the familiar into a space where narratives can be reclaimed, reshaped, and celebrated on their own terms.

The film traces these moments with sensitivity and care, revealing how art can open new ways of seeing and inhabiting the world. Unseen Territories demonstrates that public space can be a canvas for imagination, cultural sovereignty, and belonging when it is guided by the voices and visions of those historically denied authority over it.

Artwork Catalog

participating artists

Alexys Quezada • Brent Holmes • Brian Martinez • Emily Sarten • Haide Calle • Hue • Isaac Roman Quezada • Jesus Orozco • Lance L. Smith • Luis Avila Chavez • Luvriot • Montaysia Yuneek • Naes Pierott • Xochil Xitlalli

Two women are holding a colorful flag, outdoors on a city sidewalk, with a man in the background taking photos.
Three women standing on a sidewalk next to a car with an open trunk, holding a striped flag, with a beige stone wall in the background.
A girl holding a bright flag with colorful text, standing outdoors next to a stone wall, with another person partially visible on the side.

The Team

Director/Producer: Sydney Galindo is a Filipina and Indigenous curator and writer whose work focuses on cultural reclamation and artist sovereignty. She is the founder of the ARTS Foundation, a community-led organization that supports BIPOC-driven artistic and educational initiatives. Her curatorial practice challenges dominant narratives and works to build more responsive, community-centered institutional spaces.
sydneygalindo.com
 

Director of Photography/Editor: Shahab Zargari
Award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker and administrative faculty member at UNLV College of Fine Arts. His work spans original films, music videos, and commissioned pieces.
shahabzargari.net
 

Composer: Alexander Pijuan-Galindo (Arthouse Studio)
Los Angeles-based composer whose scores blend classical, electronic, and avant-garde textures. His work has been featured on CBS, Amazon, and in acclaimed indie films.
arthousestudiomusic.com

WORLD PREMIERE

September 26, 2025

Nuwu Art Gallery + Community Center

Sponsored by IAF, Inc.

Poster for a documentary film titled "Unseen Territories" with details about the premiere on September 26, 2025, at Nuwu Art, and an image of an artist holding a flag with a red tiger illustration in the top right corner.
NUWU Art logo with stylized black letters spelling 'NUWU' and 'ART' in a simple design.
Logo of Indigenous AF with a stylized hand and face design, and the text 'indigenousaf.org' underneath.
Outdoor art display of colorful flags hanging on wooden frames on an asphalt surface, with a woman standing nearby, palm trees, a wooden fence, and power lines in the background.
A quilt with the American flag design hanging on a wooden frame.
Blue car with a colorful flag that reads 'no one is Illegal on Stolen Land' attached to its side, parked on a paved street with residential buildings and trees in the background.
Colorful painting on a flag, surrounded by green leaves and background scenes of nature, mountains, and a bird flying overhead.
A large, hand-painted fabric flag hung on a wooden frame outdoors.
Outdoor display of colorful flags hanging on wooden frames, some with intricate patterns and artwork, set up on a paved surface with a fence and houses in the background.
Three people at an outdoor event with a pink textured wall in the background. Two are standing and one is sitting at a folding table with various items, including flyers, a sign, and a tablet. The sitting woman is smiling and making a peace sign gesture.
Group of diverse people standing behind a green table in a room with a large screen in the background. The screen displays a logo and text, likely during a presentation or event.
People gathered at an art exhibition or event, some seated and others standing, with colorful artworks displayed on white gallery walls behind them.

Images courtesy of Anny Ayala

Cover of a documentary short film titled 'Unseen Territories' featuring a black-and-white photo of cars with flags in a city street, with surrounding images of people protesting, holding signs, and participating in cultural activities.

unseen territories merch

Designed by Sydney Galindo

Movie poster for 'Unseen Territories' featuring a black car with flags, set against a city skyline with a tower, in black, gray, white, red, and colorful accents.

Designed by Eduardo Herrera

press ><

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A person holding a colorful artistic flag on a street in Las Vegas, with cars and palm trees in the background, during daytime.

Double Scoop

Outdoor art display with flags hanging on wooden frames, set on a paved street with a concrete wall and utility poles in the background, two people looking at the artwork near a blue car, and palm trees in the distance.

Couch in the Desert

Group of people at a gathering, holding flags and wrapped in blankets, standing in front of a beige wooden wall.

Nevada Public Radio

Unseen Territories was Made possible by the generosity and support of our community

A yellow smiley face with black eyes and mouth, with the word 'SOHN' written in black letters around the top right of the face.
Black and white stylized text: 'TWYN' with distressed texture.
Logo for Yukon Pizza with the website URL YukonPizzA.com, featuring red and white text and stars on a black background.
Colorful text reading "ECCENTRIC ARTISTS" with a black underline
Black inkblot pattern resembling a distorted cow on a white background.
A logo for GG Records featuring a red hand making the 'rock on' gesture with blood dripping from the fingers, a black cuff with '1999,' and a yellow circle with the text 'GGRECORDS.COM' around it.
Clark County, Nevada badge with mountains, a bear, bikers, and a storm, and the slogan "together for better".
Telemundo logo with a red stylized 'T' and the word 'TELEMUNDO' below in navy blue.
Seal of the United Mexican States with eagle and snake, and text that reads 'México' and 'Consulado de Carrera de México en Las Vegas'.
Logo for The Punk Rock Museum with green text on a white background