top of page

Tepetlapa at Projet Pangée

September 2021

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (10 of 52).jpg

Installation view of Tepetlapa at Projet Pangée, Montreal.

Exhibition text by Raphaëlle Cormier

Bóveda celeste

 

It’s hard to tell

where Heaven stops

and Earth begins

 

Hesitant, you reach a finger 

touch the arching skies

How ethereal and enveloping

this milky veil is

Cielos en picado

 

In Santa Clara del Cobre 

local markets glisten 

copper plates, vessels, 

goblets, jewelry

Hammered and sculpted

 

During lightning storms

the high conductivity of copper

attracts electrical discharges

Plummeting skies

Thunderbolts penetrate the ground

scattered arborescence

 

In Santa Clara del Cobre 

mountains overflow with cupric metal

The artistic duo Celeste’s name originated from depictions of celestial bodies floating above the horizon line. They now turn their gaze earthbound from their heavenly station. Representations of elongated fingers illustrate meticulous gestures like foraging, digging, squeezing, holding, or caressing. On the fleshy womblike surfaces, a predominance of ochres opens to earthy tones of browns, grays, and greens. This colour pallet stems from explorations with organic matters such as turmeric, avocado, and lemon. These telluric incarnations extend to their sculptures, which arise from the craftsmanship of Santa Clara del Cobre and the abundance of copper buried in the soil.

 

Perched on a hill, Celeste and El Vigilante Nocturno watch over our terrestrial everyday life. Their aerial presence glides over our heads, a ronde de nuit under the moonlight.

Vigilante Nocturno

 

Derived from indigenous Nahuatl dialect, the word tepetlapa evokes the rocky landscape of Tepoztlán, México. Driving to Santiago Tepetlapa, you are greeted by a sign that reads "El cerro del vigilante nocturno"–which translates as the "Hill of the Nocturnal Watchman".

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (2 of 52).jpg

Algo está cediendo I, 2021

Hammered copper

6 x 28 x 28 cm 

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (11 of 52).jpg

Installation view of Tepetlapa at Projet Pangée, Montreal.

El gesto de Daniela, 2021

Pigments and acrylic base on dyed cotton canvas

150 x 120 cm

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (3 of 52).jpg
ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (17 of 52).jpg

Camino Real, 2021

Pigments and acrylic base on dyed cotton canvas

280 x 290 cm 

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (1 of 52).jpg

Algo está cediendo II, 2021

Hammered copper

15 x 18 x 23 cm 

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (12 of 52).jpg

Installation view of Tepetlapa at Projet Pangée, Montreal.

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (16 of 52).jpg

La gran recepción, 2021

Pigments and acrylic base on dyed cotton canvas

130 x 200 cm

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (15 of 52).jpg

Bóveda Celeste, 2021

Pigments and acrylic base on dyed cotton canvas

130 x 200 cm

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (14 of 52).jpg

Algo se debate por lograr su forma, 2021

Pigments and acrylic base on dyed cotton canvas

130 x 200 cm

Gestos Coordiales, 2021

Pigments and acrylic base on dyed cotton canvas

70 x 50 cm

ProjetPangeeSeptembre2021 (5 of 52).jpg

Photo Credit: Jean-Michael Seminaro

bottom of page