These places open a window on both the artist and the work, reminding us that what we may initially consider the timeless and universal truth of the work of art cannot be detached from the complex peculiarities of its spatial and material origin. Works of art that originate in or reflect on architecture and spatial themes are also part of the exploration. The Mexican individuality that occurs in the visits consists of several guidelines that our selection weaves together:
El muro (the wall)
The wall as an architectural element plays a role in both the muralists from a revolutionary idea to make art as public as possible, and in the artist’ studios to make just a movement ‘inward’ as in Casa Iturbide by Mauricio Rocha and Casa Pedro Reyes. At Casa Wabi, the special relationship to the wall sharpens the conflict between Japanese and Mexican culture. In other architectural works, it acts as a stage to make bodies, lights, views and sounds perceptible.
Cielo y tierra (heaven and earth)
The cosmological worldview and the worship of the celestial vault and bodies are found in pre-Aztec and pre-Columbian architecture such as in Teotihuacán, but also the relationship to heaven in contemporary architecture is striking. The frequent use of open rooms without a roof, building on the long Mexican tradition of courtyards, provide a place to look at the sky, hear the landscape, and feel the passage of time. The earth and the soil in many cases require a specific treatment because of the tectonics and the raw volcanic rocks, or the volcanic stones are used as building elements in the architecture. Attention to the use of local land when creating brick architecture or works of art is also reflected in many projects, in many cases it gives a rich grain to the whole.
Luz y colour (light and colour)
The colours of the Aztec murals form the abstract protagonist in countless poetic projects. And all that under the blue sky, el cielo azul. The deep blue of Frida Kahlo. The cutting red of Diego Riveira or Juan O’Gorman. The dazzling gold of Matthias Goeritz. The sliding sloping bright white of Felix Candela. The sun-soaked ochre by Ricardo Legoretta and the mysterious deep pink by Luis Barragan.
