A three-day interdisciplinary cultural project committed to the decolonization of water, from which it seeks to create a meeting place between two indigenous cultures – the Wixárika culture of Jalisco and Nayarit and the Maoris of New Zealand – takes place from Friday, May 3 to Sunday, May 5.
The event also includes the participation of contemporary artists, musicians, poets, conservationists and the general public.
Inspired by the “person” designation that the Maori culture achieved for the Whanganui River in 2017, the Laguna de Chapala is recognized as a human being granted the same legal rights as a person. Under the concept “I am the lagoon; the lagoon is me,” this body of water is given a voice through singing, indigenous methodologies and contemporary art, while a collective consciousness is involved based on the ways in which both cultures relate to the natural world.
Friday, May 3, the exhibition, “I am the Laguna, the Laguna is me,” opens at the Centro Cultural Antigua Presidencia Chapala, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 4, sees a visit to the Isla Alacran for a meeting between the Wixarika and Maori. The encounter will be documented by three artists, in drawings, photographs and a video. Departure is at 8 a.m. Arrange your own water taxi.
On Sunday, May 5, a concert of voices is scheduled on the Ajijic boardwalk with a performance of works commissioned for the event under the curatorship of Icari and Andres Aguilar. The event is from 5 to 9 p.m.
About two dozen artists are involved in this event. To help with expenses, go to gogetfunding.com/lugar-de-voz.