The transition that occurs from October to November does not go unnoticed anywhere in the world. In countries like the United States, the festival of Halloween , in Spain, All Saints' Day, and in Mexico is celebrated Day of the Dead . The House of Mexico Foundation from Madrid wants to bring a piece of this ancient tradition, and, like last year, this 2021 returns with an impressive altar open to the public.
The Mexican celebration has been popular internationally for a long time , but few knew the true secrets and customs that were hidden behind ( the movie Coconut also played an important role in its disclosure). That colorful aesthetic of flowers and skulls represents, with many other elements, the meeting between the living and the dead.
On the first and second of November , sadness and grief are left aside for a moment in order to enjoy, have fun and celebrate in honor of loved ones that they are no longer with us, but for a few hours they will return to our world to reunite with their families. This is the moment in which the altars come into play, not only as an offering, but with hundreds of symbols that help guide and show the way to the deceased.
The new altar of the Fundación Casa de México in Madrid is a true work of art.
A TRIBUTE TO ALL
On this occasion, Casa de México in Madrid has avoided using photographs with a clear objective: to make this altar a common offering, dedicated to the deceased of all its visitors . The thinking head this time has been Fátima Cabañas, in charge of its design and conceptualization.
The pink, the purple and the yellow They are the great protagonists of an altar that is a true work of art. The chopped paper and tissue paper spheres , workshop work Mexican ornaments , is what will first call our attention, but here, nothing is the product of chance. Mexican folk art it breathes in each and every one of its details.
Before visiting it, you should know that the objects that represent the four elements of nature are essential in any altar: water, earth, fire and air, to which are also added flowers , another essential addition. Each of them has a specific function in order to help the deceased who will cross the threshold to the world of the living.
At the bottom, 132 black clay skulls await us.
Water is necessary to quench your thirst ; the Earth is represented by some typical foods , such as corn, squash, chickpeas and beans; the air , in this case represented with that chopped paper that we already mentioned, announces the arrival of the deceased ; and the fire , present in the candles, light your way . For their part, the flowers , in their most vivid colors also make guide to the altar.
With all these elements present, in the Altar of the Dead of the House of Mexico we can also find some popular ones such as the Huamantla rug , traditionally made of colored sawdust, which welcomes the deceased and leads them to the offering. The artists Angélica Vértiz and Rubén Pérez They have been in charge of carrying it out.
The flower arches have a strong role in the altar: 35 thousand flowers of different colors spread over five portals symbolizing the threshold between both worlds. Another element that will immediately attract our attention will be the tzompantli . It means "row of skulls" , had the function of worshiping the god of the sun and war and will appear represented by 132 black clay skulls behind which the artists hide Omar Fabián, Felibe Fabián, Tierra Lumbre and Simón Crafts.
This festival of colors and tribute to loved ones awaits us at Casa de México.
And finally, we can enjoy figures carved in copal and painted by hand who represent the xoloitzcuintles, sacred ancestral canines that the Mayans considered guides of the deceased. That is why they are known as soul companions.
The Altar of this 2021 of the Casa de México Foundation does not leave a single detail behind . And we are not only talking about the exhibition, but also about the cycle of activities that will be included around the theme of the Day of the Dead, among which are included film cycles or even animation workshops , among other.
We can visit the Altar until November 14 , from Monday to Sunday at different times, for free , but with a prior reservation of our tickets. And you, how are you going to celebrate the arrival of November? (Schedule and tickets here)
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