Mirror, mirror: the V&A hosts Mexican garden installation
When the Spanish conquistadors arrived at Tenochtitlán, the helm of the great Aztec empire, they described it as the Venice of the New World; such was its beauty.
Inspired by and recreating that beauty this summer is Mexican architect Frida Escobedo with her installation ‘You Know You Cannot See Yourself So Well As By Reflection’, at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Taking up a large part of the John Madejski Garden, the shimmering installation uses layers of movable platforms which can be adjusted and repurposed depending on the events it is hosting. Simultaneously standing out and sinking into the background, the piece gives the illusion of a floating grid, much like the buoyant capital that would later become Mexico City.
‘The pavilion is an abstraction of this first settlement in the lake,’ Escobedo explains. ‘A mirrored system of platforms that resembles the city and the sheen of the water as it was first described by Cortes’ men.’
A highlight of both the Year of Mexico and the London Design Festival this coming September, the pavilion celebrates the cultural heritage of Mexico in a modern way. The 'Dual Year', a year-long programme run in tandem by the UK and Mexican governments, aims to promote collaboration and ties between the two nations, in both cultural and economic terms.
The pavilion will remain in place until October, once this year's London Design Festival, which will run many of its headlining activities from the historic museum, ends.
ADDRESS
The Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 2RL
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Maruni's new collections combine Japanese skills with humble functionality
Presented at Salone del Mobile 2024, Maruni's new collections include furniture by the brand's art director Naoto Fukasawa as well as Cecilie Manz and Jasper Morrison
By Danielle Demetriou Published
-
Neuraé: meet the new French skincare brand that can change your emotions
Neuraé is a new neuroscientific skincare brand harnessing the connection between the skin and the brain
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Meet the Turner Prize 2024 shortlisted artists
The Turner Prize 2024 shortlisted artists are Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Jasleen Kaur and Delaine Le Bas
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence’ at the V&A is a bold exploration
London’s V&A presents ‘Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence’, a deep dive into 1940s architectural influences within West Africa and India
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Behind the V&A East Museum’s pleated façade
Behind the new V&A East Museum’s intricate façade is a space for the imagination to unfold
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Young V&A crafted as a ‘joyful’ space for children and families
Young V&A opens in east London promising a ‘joyful’ experience for children of all ages
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
V&A's Tropical Modernism: a vivid look at architecture culture in newly independent Ghana
Subtitled ‘Architecture and Power in West Africa’, V&A's 'Tropical Modernism' is a richly historical show at the 2023 Venice Biennale, perfectly aligned with the overarching theme of inclusion and exploration of modernism’s overlooked cultural impact
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
British mosques explored: 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale preview
Previewing the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale, we catch up with Shahed Saleem, one of the curators at the Applied Arts Pavilion Special Project. Titled ‘Three British Mosques', this exciting collaboration between La Biennale di Venezia and London's Victoria & Albert Museum focuses on adapted mosque spaces in London
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
V&A unveils two new designs for east London cultural hub
By Clare Dowdy Last updated
-
Kengo Kuma's V&A Dundee opens its doors to the public
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
V&A pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale to explore the legacy of Robin Hood Gardens
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated