So what connects a small village in Croatia with a pueblo in Oaxaca, Mexico? Well, it is an entirely personal business.
Talleres Comunitarios de Zegache, established in 1997, brought in conservators who trained 10 local women ("those who wait") in various techniques of restoration. Some years later the women had restored the church to its past splendor - a masterpiece of "Indian Baroque". The pueblans could once again take pride in their cultural heritage - a change that was brought by themselves and not imposed on them by professionals from outside. Today the Community Workshop consists of 17 members, both women and men.
Performing Pictures first visited the Community Workshop of Santa Ana Zegache in November 2008. Facing the social impact of the church-restoring Community Workshop, we decided to gear our work towards devotional and venerative artefacts, a natural extension of Performing Pictures' visual and public installation-based practice.
The parts for Saint Martin, the beggar and the horse, were carved out in cedar wood, painted with egg tempera by the skilled artisans of Talleres Comunitarios de Zegache. These are some images following this process in August 2012.
Part 4 out of 6
