What is Vision y Tradición?
Taller Maya and México’s Design Week 2019 collaborated to bring us “Visión y Tradición,” a fresh take on cultural exchange that blends contemporary design with 11 traditional artisan techniques from the Yucatecan peninsula that involves 69 artisans and ten designers from México and Cuba.
When I heard about Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya’s mission to preserve and share traditional Maya artisanry, I was on board with visiting the exhibit. I’m a huge advocate of keeping culture alive and thriving through art, poetry, music, and general way of life. So, I headed toward Santa Ana to get a unique Maya experience.
What to Expect
The entrance to the store is located on the side of the building. Already, you can see the meat of the exhibit as much of the wall is paned with glass, giving it a modern aesthetic (everything looks very clean and square) and inviting sunlight in to warm the pieces.
Walk around and take in the jewelry, the jipijapa-wrapped glasses, the hammocks strung across shelves. The threads are woven thin, but the way in which they intertwine with each other makes a perfectly durable and breathable net to rest in, which is ideal for taking a nap in the shade of Mexican summer.
The entire exhibit can be finished easily in ten minutes, but to get the most fulfilling experience, read the silver books located in the corner of the exhibit. They give background to Taller Maya and quote the artists’ and designers’ reasoning behind why each piece was made, what purpose it serves, why it even exists in this space; most importantly, they explain the specific Maya techniques that were used to breathe life into the art. They are in Spanish, however, so if you need help understanding what’s being said, don’t be afraid to ask the women maintaining the store for help (I sure did!).
And the Art?
The art itself is gorgeous. I couldn’t help but picture where I wanted to put every single piece of art in my own bedroom – the flock of Toh birds would fit comfortably in my bookshelf, the Ermita lamps would add a pop of color and unique texture to the space, and I even know where to put the gigantic Nepohualtzintzin: on either side of my television in the living room. Michell Galindo, the designer of the filigrana Josefina piece, was inspired by the idea of what a modern day Maya princess might look like with her jewelry; she was right on target. I’ll be darned if I didn’t feel like a princess just observing the figurine.
Hours & General Info
Calle 60 #417, Centro, Mérida
Tel. 55 8679 1061 or 55 5257 0097 ext. 304
tallermaya.org
FB: Taller Maya
IG: @Tallermaya
Tues. – Thurs. 10 am – 8 pm, Fri. – Sat. 10 am – 9 pm, and Sun. 10 am – 7 pm. Closed Mondays.
Other Taller Maya stores:
Mérida
Casa Montejo
Tel. (999) 253 6736
Casa Montejo Taller Maya Histórico
Calle 60 #210, Centro, Mérida
Mar. – sáb. 10 – 7 pm, dom. 10 am – 2 pm
Centro Cultural y Artesanal Izamal (CCAI)
Calle 31 x 30 y 32, Centro, Izamal
Tel. (988) 954 1012
Lun. – dom. 9 am – 11 pm
Santa Ana
Calle 60 #417 x 47 y 45, Centro, Mérida
Maní
Calle 25 entre 28 y 26, Plaza principal
Frente al Convento de San Miguel Arcángel
Maní ,Yucatán, México
Lun. – dom. – 10:30 am – 2 pm y 3 pm – 7 pm
Campeche
Campeche (a lado del Hotel Puerta Campeche)
Calle 18 #132, Centro, Campeche
Tel. (981) 811 5703
Mar. – dom. 9 am – 9 pm
CDMX
Av. Constituyentes #1162, Lomas Altas
CDMX, México
Tel. (55) 5257 0097 ext.305 (Previa cita)
Boutiques en Haciendas
Hacienda Temozon, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Temozon Sur km 182 Carretera Merida-Uxmal
Temozon Sur, Yucatan 97825 México.
Tel. (999) 923 8089
Hacienda Santa Rosa
Carretera Mérida – Campeche, desviación Maxcanú
Santa Rosa, México.
Tel. (999) 923 1923
Hacienda San Jose, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Jose
Carretera Tixkokob – Tekanto km 30
Tixkokob, Yucatán
Tel. +52 999 924 1333
Hacienda Uayamón, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Uayamón
Carretera Uayamon – China – Edzna km 20
Uayamon, Campeche
Tel. (981) 813 0530
Hacienda San Pedro Ochil
Carretera Mérida – Uxmal km. 176.5
Abalá, Yucatán
Tel. (999) 924 7465
Lun. – dom. 10 am – 6 pm
Editorial by Madison García
Photography by Madison García for use in Yucatán Today
Esta entrada también está disponible en: ES
