The Mexican Fiesta, a result of the syncretism of the pre-Hispanic and Spanish traditions, has been one of the essential elements on which our identity has been built. For centuries, the different rural and urban communities have made a pause in their daily lives to dedicate one or several days to the celebration of their saints. However, behind this overflow, there is preparation and active participation of its in habitants. As Octavio Paz points out in El Laberinto de la Soledad.

Focused on exploring new territories through exercises that reinterpret ideas and perspectives, Panorámica - integrated byJoel Escalona, José de la O, Jorge Diego Etienne, IanOrtega and Moisés Hernández - presents Castillos, a collection that takes as a starting point the concept of the fiesta. For this, they made an extensive investigation of what remains hidden before the eyes of the viewer, such as informal manufacturing that is designed to be burned, consumed and discarded. It is in this vernacular process where the practicality and spontaneity of its elaboration are demonstrated.

Taking as inspiration the centenary pyrotechnic activity of Estado de México, specifically “toritos”, and “castillos”, Panorámica reflected about this practice through design. A collection that takes as a formal element the vase–an elemental and universal object and image– whose parts are joined with knots, inspired by Japanese techniques with natural fibers, they achieve a continuous dialogue between antagonistic concepts. On one hand, they use metal instead of wood or hemp, turning permanent what initially was ephemeral, and on the other hand, they create a tension between the utilitarian and the non-functional.

They  also generate a game between emptiness and matter, which highlights the shapes and contours that are created in the negative space, making visible the work of the artisans that generate these structures.

Within the framework of Mexico City as theWorld Design Capital 2018, Castillos shows new readings not only of a tradition that remains present in the country but of design itself.