CLIENT: United Mexican States Pavilion – Expo 2020 Dubai
DESIGN: Design KAST Studio
FABRICATION: Arco Group International
ADDITIONAL FIRMS: LC & Partners Project Management and Engineering Consultants
Weaving the ties of fraternal friendship with the world is Mexico’s statement at Expo 2020 Dubai. The pavilion conveys this message through a spectacular collection of audiovisual projections and a majestic, hand-woven installation that colorfully wraps the exterior and aesthetically highlights both female empowerment and communitarian traditions.
Under the theme “Weaving Life,” Mexico has the distinction of being the only pavilion at Expo 2020 with a handmade façade. It all began in 2017, when the women of Etzatlan, in the state of Jalisco, gathered around their passion for weaving and created the world’s largest crochet canopy. This drew the attention of visual artist Betsabee Romero to coordinate with them and conceptualize “Tejedoras de Lazos” (Link Weavers) as a giant multicolored installation that wraps the entire Mexican pavilion. Several kilometers of string were used by more than 200 women over the course of four months to assemble the orange, green, red, and yellow ribbons into a 9,700-square-foot shroud.
Crochet weaving uses centrifugal forms like spiderwebs, stars or flowers. Representing an anti-architectural gesture which breaks with the rigidness and strictness of the existing facade. The installation softens the building and melts with a vibrant play of forms and color, giving it a new perspective with oblique angles and intertwined elements, just like the lives of women who weave are interlaced throughout this common interest.
The exhibition area is curated by prestigious photographer Pepe Soho who, through his lens, portrays the sanctuaries of the monarch butterfly, the humpback whale, and fireflies — as well as the archaeological sites of Chichen Itza and Tulum. These magnificent works of art are complemented with videos and current projects in Mexico that are related to mobility, the theme of the Expo 2020 district in which the pavilion is located.
The main exhibition area features three elements. First, “Asencion,” comprises two mirrored kaleidoscopes where visitors step in to experience the power of Chichen Itza, one of the seven new wonders of the world and where during the spring equinox the “snake of sunlight” descends through the pyramid. The second element, “Sanctuary,” is a visual extravaganza with immersive projections in a floor-to-ceiling, fully mirrored triangular room that pays homage to the magnificence and diversity of Mexico’s nature. Finally, “Maya Dome” is a 360-degree sensorial experience that celebrates ancient cosmology and takes visitors on a trip to Tulum and the heart of the jungle.
On the pavilion’s upper floor is its restaurant and business center. Considered part of the country’s tangible heritage, Meshico offers the best of Mexican cuisine. The business center, on the other hand, actively promotes Mexican companies and products, not only in the UAE but throughout the whole Middle East. Through the experience guests have inside the pavilion, the country seeks to captivate visitors by showcasing the richness and vast biodiversity of Mexico, while simultaneously leaving a positive legacy that inspires a brighter future characterized by equality, inclusion, and respect for the environment.
