Vochol at the “Autostadt”, Germany
Good Evening,
I would like to begin by thanking the “AUTOSTADT” and especially Mr. Lino Santacruz; because without them we wouldn’t have the wonderful opportunity to be here.
I would like to tell you a short story about how this work of art was born. We call it “Vochol”. This name joins the German word Volkswagen and the Mexican word “Huichol”. The Huicholare the indigenous group that uses this bead art to decorate wooden animals and other sacred figures that they consecrate and call gods. The Huicholinclude color in every aspect of their lives, including their textiles, hats, handcrafts, furniture.
Several months ago, Marie Thérèse Hermand de Arango, our founder and chairwoman, attended an auction in Miami. She witnessed the auctioning of an automobile covered with mirrors. She returned to Mexico inspired by this novel piece and determined to create a similar contemporary work or art with Mexico’s artisans.
Much thought went into the project but, in the end, we decided to enlist the Huichol as artists. The choice of VW “Beetle” (nicknamed “vocho”in México), as canvas was more obvious. It is Mexico’s most popular end emblematic car. . The Huichol would transform it using their bead craft.
Our adventure began after many trips to the Mexican state of Jalisco. VOCHOL® started to take shape in May 2010. As custom dictated, we had to begin with a traditional Huichol ceremony conducted by the artists and creators from both Jalisco and Nayarit states. Then, the real work began. The artists dedicated more than 4600 hours to this work. They placed more than 90 kilos or over two and a quarter million of glass beads and 14 kilos of locally produced, resin-based glue on the chassis of the car. The artists also used yarn, paint and other local materials.
After nearly six month of continuous labor and inspirational creativity we were presented with the result– an exceptional representation of Mexican popular art on wheels and a unique work of art that conveys the sensibility of a culture, sees life through polychromatic crystal, and is capable of merging real and imaginary worlds.
“Vochol” was born on December 9, 2010 and was presented to the world at the Museo de Arte Popular (MAP) in Mexico City. This is where the dream began its journey.
“Vochol” has traveled from Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco to Tepic,in the state of Nayarit and finally to Mexico City. It has also been in several other Mexican cities.
As part of its world tour, “Vochol” toured San Diego, California, Washington DC, Denver Colorado and Houston, Texas. In October, “Vochol” was inaugurated at Quai Branly in Paris.
It is only fitting that this fusion of Mexican craft with German technology finds its placer here at the“Autostadt”. We can all appreciate the unification of cultures and cosmovisions. The hands of the people of Mexico, the Huichol, have decorated Volkswagen’s car of the people.
In Mexico, Carlos Fuentes, always said that “the hands of the artisans” are the hands of the people and thus are the hands of GOD.”
When we see this “Huichol”decorated Volkswagen, we cannot but think that it was touched by the hands of GOD.
The story does not end here. We wonder, “where will Vochol® end its journey?”
Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Damian Hirst, have all used commercial media in their artistic proposals (BMW parts, Citroen, Ferrari, and more). Immensely creative minds have achieved artworks using common objects that have drifted from their daily and industrial use to become museum pieces.
For many years, the Vocho was only assembled Mexico where it was last manufactured.
We do not know if our Vocho will end up in a museum or a private collection. We do know that it will be admired.
Thank you very much.
*Palabras de la Sra. Cecilia Barbará de
Moctezuma, ex presidenta de la Asociacion de Amigos del MAP, AC, en la inauguración del Vochol en el Autostadt en Wolfsburg, Alemania
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