Mexico is participating for the first time in the Revelations International Biennial of Art and Creative Crafts, the most important event of its kind in the world. It will be held at the Grand Palais in Paris from today through Sunday. Through the Iberartesanías cooperation program, the country is sharing space with five other countries in the region (Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, and Peru) in an exhibition that celebrates the cultural richness, creativity, and innovation of folk art.
Occupying the central corridor of the venue, as Ibero-American crafts will do, is an enormous privilege and an opportunity to project ourselves as a region to the world
, said Enrique Vargas, coordinator of the Ibero-American Space of the Ibero-American General Secretariat of Culture (SEGIB), in an interview with La Jornada .
Ten regions around the world are invited to the seventh edition of Revelations, ranging from French overseas territories to Bangladesh, Brazil, and Burundi. Italy is the special guest country, and the biennial also offers an immersion in the artisanal trades of Georgia, Ireland, and Malaysia.
In an international environment where narratives of cultural hegemony persist, Vargas emphasized that the Ibero-American presence takes on a political and symbolic dimension: " This group of countries, and Mexico in particular, is characterized by its cultural diversity. This exhibition is a way to counteract hegemony and promote diversity
. "
Mexico is participating with four pieces by two master artisans: Marlen Martínez Cenobio, recognized for her mastery of Mazahua textiles, and Gabriela Ziranda Velázquez, honored for her work in hammered copper. Both won the 2024 National Popular Art Award.
Among the pieces, a fine-knit Mazahua tapestry, embroidered with cotton thread, stands out. Its geometric design is organized in concentric bands that branch out from a dense and colorful central floral motif. It also features a hammered copper centerpiece with a hemispherical base that rises to a thin, slightly flared neck.
The message we want to convey with this curatorship is very clear: the dignity of indigenous peoples, respect for nature, and the creative capacity of our folk artists
, Vargas explained. “Mexican folk art—and that of the other five countries—not only tells the story of a community, it also innovates, engages in dialogue with the present and with other cultures.”
