Donna Huanca: Ojos Obsidianos

In western Mesoamerica, obsidian from the foothills of the Tequila Volcano was used by the Teuchitlán Tradition to make mirrors and protection artefacts, while in our own day scalpels made of this volcanic stone are used to provide care to the human body in surgical procedures.

Huanca begins her work by offering meditation experiences to models during performance sessions. Although the models are not physically present in the galleries of the MAZ, the space retains the echoes of their bodies through imprints stored in memory: sounds, smells, visual images, and graduated tactile vibrations. The works in the exhibition are interconnected and interdependent. The paintings emanate from the performances and the sculptures from the paintings. The pigments used to paint the skin of the models come from the sculptures, which are inspired by natural minerals and rock formations.

The artificial landscape, with its refractive and reflected streets, is arranged in such a way as to provide a refuge for the feminine energies that Huanca embraces and collaborates with. As a sort of labyrinth, it disorients, but it also provides a safe space in which to navigate and explore, through the senses, the projection of a feminine future.