DIA by Esteban Ganem

Would you feel comfortable flying in an occult airport? The Denver International Airport seems a little wacky with its eerie artwork, strange phrases or acronyms and its underlying tunnels. Because of its mysterious atmosphere, several conspiracy theories have developed: the airport was commissioned by the new world order, its “peace” murals are actually about violence and destruction, and that its underground tunnels are being held for future Nazi concentration camps (Mood 1). We’ll analyze these theories and find a likely possibility.

The Denver International Airport murals were painted by Leo Tanguma, a Mexican-American muralist. Leo Tanguma firmly fought for those that were oppressed, and his murals often depicted his feelings towards the situations. Tanguma has painted for over forty years and has exclaimed to have painted in ghettos, universities, art museums, and more (Tanguma 1). However, his work in the Denver International Airport seems to be a center of controversy for many theorists. In an interview, Tanguma has said that the woman in his painting “The Torch of Quetzalcoatl,” is the Mexican legend, La Llorona (Dalamangas 1). In the legend, it is often told that La Llorona drowned her kids in the river to stop them from going to Spain with her Spanish husband, causing her to weep (1). In Tanguma’s point of view, we get this story from a twisted Spanish viewpoint, and thinks that she could end up reuniting with her children, as shown in the mural, “The Torch of Quetzalcoatl” (1). In many of Tanguma’s murals, he depicts stories in different ways than that of the public view.

            Tanguma was raised Baptist by his parents and was exposed to the Bible all throughout his youth (Dalamangas 1). He was taught by his church to not participate in protests, which was something that Tanguma did not agree with (1). Tanguma decided to combine both protest with his Baptist religion in his mural “Children for the World Dream of Peace” (1). This mural was largely inspired by a lesson from the prophets Isaiah and Micah, (1). In this story, every nation will finally stop all of the war and “beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning forks,” (1). Tanguma then uses dramatic imagery of the “warmonger” killing the dove in order to obtain the viewer’s attention and see that the children are looking ahead to the future and dreaming for peace (1).

            Tanguma studied with Dr. John Biggers, an art professor at Texas Southern University and there he learned about the Mexican muralists and became influenced by many of them, including David Siquieros (Dalamangas 1). Siquieros was a Mexican muralist that painted murals defined by the Mexican Revolution and became an art legend to people such as Tanguma, due to his rich Mexican history.

            Tanguma’s first work in Colorado was in a Catholic church’s community hall and approached the subject of gang violence (Tanguma 1). Tanguma sparked a lot of dialogue and discussion about these subjects in this certain community in Denver due to the unusual pieces of art that Tanguma painted and displayed (1). Tanguma has also created a sculptural mural in order to protest the Americans intervening in Central America (1).

            Tanguma has strong beliefs in fighting for the rights of those who are oppressed and bringing justice to the table. He will create dramatic imagery in order to get the attention of others and spark conversation about subjects that are important to the Hispanic and Mexican-American world.

The Denver International Airport has been a serious spark for a multitude of conspiracy theories including the New World Order, painting, and concentration camp conspiracies (Mood 1).

            Some conspiracists think that the Denver International Airport was built by the New World Order. The New World Order is a conspiracy that the elites of the world have a secret group that plans to have the entire world governed by a single totalitarian government. This plan was in fact started by the Nazis but was thought to be discontinued after the suicide of Hitler. Some, however, think that the plan is still alive in some certain elites. This was even further elevated when the mysterious Denver International Airport plaques state that the airport was commissioned by the “New World Airport Commission” (Hoeller 1). Further research showed that there was no such organization as the “New World Airport Commission,” and instead points many to the Nazi organization of the New World Order (1). According to Telegraph in 2015, a spokeswoman from the airport denied any involvement with the New World Order, instead insisting that the “New World Airport Commission” is what they actually meant (Smith 1). The fact that the New World Airport Commission doesn’t actually exist and that there is no other record on file for the group makes the conspiracists that much more skeptical about the Denver International Airport, in addition to the many things that are already eerie about the place. It doesn’t help that the plane runways, in fact, look like swastikas (Mood 1). In that same Telegraph article, the spokeswoman denies this as well, stating that they think the shape “looks like a pinwheel” (Smith 1). However, neither of these denials seem to stop any conspirators from creating any new theories about the airport. As a matter of fact, they almost make it seem more like a bad cover-up than anything else.

            Another conspiracy theory is that Tanguma’s peace murals are actually about destruction and violence. Although earlier stated that Tanguma uses graphic imagery to tell stories and get his message across about the governments that oppress others for power, many conspirators ignore this, and instead go for the more interesting story. In the painting “Children of the World Dream of Peace,” a large figure in green with a gas mask is shown holding an assault rifle and stabbing a dove with a sword in the other hand (Mood 1). Surrounding what appears to be a soldier, are women and children crying as peace is destroyed (1). Tanguma’s murals aren’t the only thing that seem to promote evil around the airport though, in case it seemed that the paintings depiction of violence was an accident or a one-time only case. On the way to the terminal, there stands a sculpture of a blue horse with red glowing eyes, named “Blucifer” (1). When this horse was being built, a 2-ton part of the horse detached and fell on the sculptor, Luis Jimenez, severing an artery and killing him (1). Another crazy piece of artwork is the sculpture of the Egyptian god, Anubis (“Not Everyone Thrilled with Anubis Statue at DIA,” 1). Anubis is the Egyptian god of death, which makes the airport seem even more suspicious to put a random Egyptian statue symbolizing death (1). The director of communication, Andrea Bolton, for the Denver Art Museum, included in the airport, stated that the statue had nothing to do with the airport, and that it was only used to welcome in the new King Tut Exhibit (1). Her statement further continued that there is indeed a literal meaning of the art in ancient Egypt, but that today, it is only a piece of art (1). It should also be included, that the statue is part of the traveling show of the King Tut museum, but that it was not part of a commission of the airport (1). Even still, it doesn’t make the airport seem any less suspicious by choosing the Egyptian god of death, and not a different Egyptian god. Finally, there are gargoyles, that look creepy and have their tongue sticking out, that are mounted above baggage claim (Mood 1). This seems to be a strange choice for an artwork above luggage claim, and it only adds to the suspicion of the Denver International Airport. While Tanguma’s murals have had elaborate explanations to their choices of imagery, the other artworks only seem to create controversy and conspiracies among the passers-by. Do the people at Denver International Airport just really like art, or are they up to something different?

            The last bits of conspiracies for the Denver International Airport include the conspiracies surrounding the underground tunnels and pathways underneath the Denver International Airport. The tunnels were a huge part of the budget of the Denver International Airport going over budget and over schedule (“8 Conspiracy Theories about the Denver Airport That’ll Freak You Out,” 1). The airport currently still uses the tunnels to run a passenger train, however, the part that ran the airport development over schedule, the automated baggage system, was never used and was failed from the start (Mood 1). This has led many to believe that they are using these tunnels and budgets toward something else, and that the automated baggage system was just a cover up. A multitude of conspiracies have developed toward these tunnels and seem really far-fetched. The first theory is that a hidden underground city is underneath the airport (Mood 1). It is also known that there are buried buildings hidden underneath the airport, making for a perfect situation to have an underground city (1). However, this is the only evidence for having an underground city. DIA Communications Director Stacy Stegman spoke with The Denver Post and told the magazine that “it would be pretty difficult to hide any covert activity,” due to all of the people that step over and walk throughout the underground tunnels every day (1). This, however, is the closest conspiracy that could be true. Other conspiracies are much less evident and do not appear to be anywhere near true. Some of these theories include the secret military base for psychological testing, government projects on aliens, and being saved for underground FEMA concentration camps (Shapiro 1).

The Denver International Airport has been the source of many controversies and conspiracies throughout its tenure as an airport. In a survey conducted on twenty different people, it was found that 100% of them believe that some sort of conspiracy theory could be possibly true. If any conspiracy theories are true, conspiracies in the Denver International Airport would be more likely to be true than many other conspiracy theories, as there is no evidence to disprove them, aside from the spokespeople’s denial. In the first conspiracy, the New World Airport commission really is not a thing, and must have some sort of other symbolism, either connecting to the Nazi group or the elite group “New World Order.” In the second conspiracy theory, the art still could promote death or foreshadow a future world event. Tanguma has given legitimate explanations for his artwork, although explanation has yet to be given on the Blue Mustang, “Blucifer,” or the gargoyles that lurk among baggage claim. There must be reasoning for placing such strange artwork in an airport. In the third conspiracy theory, the underground tunnels could be used for an underground city or fallout shelters. The theories about secret government psychological testing and alien species seem to be more speculation than theory and don’t seem very likely, although the fallout shelter could be true. All three of these categories have around equal evidence to be true or untrue, and this is what makes the Denver International Airport conspiracy theories so interesting.

Works Cited

By       9News. “Not Everyone Thrilled with Anubis Statue at DIA.” The Denver Post, 5 May 2016, www.denverpost.com/2010/06/09/not-everyone-thrilled-with-anubis-statue-at-dia/.

Dalamangas, Rachel Cole. "INTERVIEW: Leo Tanguma | Zingmagazine." INTERVIEW: Leo Tanguma | Zingmagazine. Zingmagazine, June 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

 Hoeller, Sophie-Claire. “People Have All Sorts of Conspiracy Theories about Denver's Airport - Here's Why.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 16 Oct. 2015, www.businessinsider.com/denver-airport-conspiracy-theories-2015-10.

Http://Facebook.com/buzzfeedricky. “8 Conspiracy Theories About The Denver Airport That'Ll Freak You Out.” BuzzFeed, www.buzzfeed.com/rickysans/the-mysterious-conspiracy-theories-surrounding-the-denver-ai?utm_term=.rkJnkmm1m#.am0XxWWmW.

Mood, Abbie. “How Denver Airport Became the International Hub of Conspiracy Theories.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 20 Oct. 2015, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-denver-airport-became-the-international-hub-of-conspiracy-theories.

Shapiro, Gary. “Under Colorado: The Secret Tunnels of Denver International Airport.” KUSA, www.9news.com/travel/under-colorado-the-secret-tunnels-of-denver-international-airport/201142788.

Smith, Oliver. “The Airport That Launched a Thousand Conspiracy Theories.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 28 Feb. 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/colorado/articles/The-airport-that-launched-a-thousand-conspiracy-theories/.

Tanguma, Leo. "Leo Tanguma." Christian Social Network Ministry. Christian Social Network Ministry, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2016.