Reading Time: 3 min.
The textile art of Mexico is tradition, beauty, and cultural richness. However, it and the folk artists responsible for its creation have not been recognized and are much less celebrated. In fact, on more than one occasion, national and international artists and designers have used their talent and creativity to carry out inappropriate cultural appropriation without giving due recognition and even under the pretext of so-called homages without the corresponding credit.
Fortunately, thanks to initiatives such as ORIGINAL, this happens less frequently. And the relevance of Mexican textile art and its creators is steadily acquiring the place it deserves in the world of international design
ORIGINAL Meeting of Mexican Textile Art is a cultural movement led by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico that puts institutions at the service of the Mexican creative communities. This year will be the second edition of this grand encounter. It will take place from November 17 to 20 at the Los Pinos Cultural Complex, in Mexico City, with the participation of about a thousand creators, representing about 5,000 of the whole country.
Original 2022 will have 478 stands and an exhibition and sales area of 5,500 square meters to learn about and acquire – without intermediaries – the great textile diversity of Mexico. This year Original will have seven catwalks led by Rubí Huerta and directed by Antonio Zúñiga to reveal proposals by 180 artisans. One of them will be exclusive to jewelry.
The purpose of this meeting goes far beyond direct sales to the attending public since Original seeks to promote good practices and consolidated negotiations under the banner of fairness and justice for creators. An example of this is the collaboration between Embroidery Akatl and the Franco-Mexican brand Calher Delaeter, mediated by the Business Hall of the first edition of Original.
And although the main days for this meeting will be from November 17 to 20, Original work goes far beyond these to hold the essence of this movement, the 24 Original Routes. To get to know the artisans and their trade in their context, homes, and workshops, Original visited twenty-eight states and traveled more than forty thousand kilometers.
Original and the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico help to strengthen the strategy in defense of the cultural heritage of the communities through a complete program of forums in which relevant issues such as the new Federal Law of Protection of the Cultural Heritage of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples and Communities.
At Original 2022, a thousand artisans will be present, representing around five thousand from all over the country. The artists will represent their communities in seven catwalks, an expo sale, workshops, master conferences, and the Business Hall to show the Mexican richness and cultural diversity.
Original 2022 was announced by the Secretary of Culture of the Government of Mexico, Alejandra Frausto Guerrero, during the press conference to present this second edition of ORIGINAL. Meeting of Mexican Textile Art, held at the Palace of Culture of Tlaxcala.
And it is that one of the fundamental axes of ORIGINAL is the cultural and economic strengthening of the communities. Original seeks to support with training and technical, commercial, and legal assistance; generate compensation schemes with and for the communities, and promote Mexican design globally as an initiative that, in addition to helping preserve national memory and identity, allows promoting fair trade strategies, as well as ethical exchange.
“ORIGINAL we support, not plagiarism and no haggling. The artist must decide at all times, with the support of the community they represent, which piece of their tradition is for sale and which should remain for the ritual and private sphere”.
ORIGINAL has an advisory council, which goes from 17 to 20 members. Of these, 17 are from the artisan guild of Chiapas, Chihuahua, State of Mexico, Guerrero, Michoacán, Puebla, Sonora, Tlaxcala, Oaxaca, and Veracruz, teachers, and leaders in their communities, and with a recognized track record.
Share
images
Original, Statement.
