Rejoice, ye who yearn for a time when fun was held together by wooden joints, metal screws and twine: The ninth annual Puppet Festival (Festin de las Muñecas) will grace Guadalajara with its charmingly analog presence, Wednesday-Sunday, November 1-5.
Every festival must, it seems, have a theme, and the motto affixed to this year’s edition of the Puppet Festival is “The thread that weaves bridges and pulls down walls,” the idea being that puppetry is an art which bridges different disparate cultures, including that of Quebec, which will be represented in part by the creative residency of renowned puppeteer Julie Desrosiers.
The festival’s happenings, sponsored via a partnership between the state and municipal governments and the University of Guadalajara, will be spread for maximum egalitarianism throughout the city, from the Parque Metropolitano on the far west side, to the centro historico’s Teatro Diana, and from Unidad Tetlan Rio Verde in the northeast to the Conjunto de Artes Escenicas in the far north.
Many of these events are outdoor and free of charge. The indoor events, however, are ticketed.
Of a piece with the festival is a show by U.S. sculptor Kevin Titzer, called “You Can Only Hold Your Breath For So Long.” The artist used found materials to construct a visually striking installation in situ. The show runs this Friday, October 27 to Sunday, November 26 at the Galeria Juan Soriano (Constituyentes 21, by the Agua Azul Park).
For full information on performance times and schedules, as well as workshops and art exhibits, go to elfestin.org.