Paxil, Proyectos Invitados ACME

Serie: Portales

Achiote and the management of endemic species are the mediums through which the work addresses the increasing deforestation and loss of Mayan bio-cultural heritage. The spread of dispossession advances violently on a global scale, devastating nature, peoples, and cultures. In the Yucatán Peninsula, these processes of material resource extraction have caused significant transformations in tropical forests over the past decades. Paxil presents itself as the result of research and a body of work that engages in dialogue with the millennial Mayan culture and the ecological destruction affecting its territory.

The work observes and approaches the Yucatán Peninsula landscape through the lens of architecture. This is manifested in the use of architectural plans from Mayan ceremonial centers located in the region. These plans are elevated through the use of linen dyed with Bixa orellana (achiote) seeds or with cacao. In Mayan cosmovision, achiote played a central symbolic role in rituals and sacrifices, drawing a connection between the blood spilled in ancestral ceremonies and the current problem of intentional fires. Similarly, deforestation is reflected in the use of cedar, one of the many tree species heavily affected by real estate speculation, tourism, and agribusiness in the region.

Dispositivo IV: Pachycereus schottii

A steel structure protects the species Pachycereus schottii, functioning as a dual-purpose device. The windows, arranged according to the translation of the plant’s scientific name into binary code, not only contain and reveal biological information about the plant but also integrate crystals into some of their openings. This allows the structure to function as a greenhouse, regulating and improving the internal temperature to create optimal conditions for its growth. However, the work introduces a contradiction: the act of conserving nature is achieved through its confinement, a gesture that echoes the protectionist and preservation policies governing our ecologies.

Serie: Estratos (General Prim)

The series is a photographic record that captures the history embedded in the walls of the General Prim building, where layers of paint, accumulated over the years, have been exposed, revealing colors and shapes that reflect the passage of time. Each room showcases a unique variation in textures and hues, reflecting how the years have marked each space differently. The series functions as a visual archaeology, uncovering how the past continues to manifest in the present.

The series explores the relationships between built environments and the social, political, and ecological dynamics that transform them. The walls of General Prim, like landscapes, bear witness to the layers that compose our territory, cultures, and histories. Through this record, the series reflects on how traces of the past continue to influence the present and how each layer, whether material or symbolic, contributes to a broader narrative about the environment, politics, and the relationship between culture and nature.