No doubt Guadalajara will soon be claiming a new Guinness record for the most Guinness records set by a single city.
Monday, the largest mural ever made from chaquira beads was unveiled at a ceremony that heralded the start of the 25th Guadalajara International Mariachi Festival. Created by a team of indigenous Wixarika craftspeople from northern Jalisco, the mural measures 81.55 square meters and will stand in the Plaza de la Liberation in downtown Guadalajara throughout the August 22-September 2 festival.
The previous Guinness record for a mural of this kind, 71.33 square meters, was set in New Orleans.
Under the supervision of Maurillio Renteria, a noted Huichol artist, 17 craftsmen and women worked approximately 780 hours to create the artwork, which shows a man and a woman in typical Mexican costumes. It is also the official logo of this year’s event. The team used 450 kilograms of chaquira beads, 48 kilos of Campeche wax and 30 kilos of adhesive in the process.
More than anything, Renteria said, the mural will help to disseminate Wixarika culture to a wider audience.