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On May 23, 2024, the Office of Cultural Projects (OPC) in Puerto Vallarta proudly celebrated its 10th anniversary with the opening of two remarkable exhibitions: “Primero fue la raicilla (First Came Raicilla): Arte y cultura del agave y sus destilados” and “Ana Topoleanu: Those from the Other Coast – The Raicilla World.” These exhibitions, which run concurrently, delve into contemporary art, agave traditions, and the critical reflection on cultural phenomena associated with its production. “Primero fue la raicilla” is curated by the renowned Mexican artist Rubén Ortiz Torres.
Every May, OPC dedicates the theme of its exhibitions to Puerto Vallarta, proposing content that invites reflection on the city’s growth, traditions, and history. This year, the tribute focuses on the production of raicilla on the coast.
Primero fue la raicilla (First Came Raicilla): Arte y cultura del agave y sus destilados
“Primero fue la raicilla: Arte y cultura del agave y sus destilados” explores the relationship between agave, raicilla, and other distillates with the region, art, and culture. The exhibition gathers the work of over 20 national and international artists, offering a contemporary vision of agave and the historical and social phenomena it embodies.
Participating artists include Cecilia Barreto, Brewster Brockmann, Maldita Carmen, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Minerva Cuevas, Ariana Díaz, Demián Flores, Cristian Franco, Rubén Gamez, Saúl Hernández, Dr. Lakra, Mónica Leyva, Serapio Medrano, Adrien Missika, Gerardo Molina, Irak Morales, Julio Orta, Isidro Pérez García, Marcos Ramírez ERRE, Javier M. Rodríguez, Miranda Rosales, Eduardo Sarabia, Superflex, Austin Young and David Burns/Fallen Fruit, and the Collection of Artists of Reserva de la Familia Cuervo.
Ana Topoleanu: Those from the Other Coast – The Raicilla World
“Those from the Other Coast” is a documentary photography project by Ana Topoleanu with texts by Arturo Dávila. This exhibition narrates the tradition of raicilla in the Costa de Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, from its process and tradition to the families dedicated to this craft for generations. Through captivating images, “Those from the Other Coast” reveals the relationship between these families and the natural environment where the coastal landscape meets rural life.
Ana Topoleanu is a Romanian documentary photographer whose projects have been published in T Magazine, The New York Times, and Vogue. Her work is noted for its intimate narrative and central focus on cultural diversity.
Curator: Rubén Ortiz Torres
Rubén Ortiz Torres studied visual arts and graduated from the National School of Visual Arts, UNAM, Mexico City. In 1990, he received a Fulbright scholarship to study at the California Institute of the Arts, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA). Ortiz Torres is considered one of the most important Mexican artists of today, known for pioneering a distinctly Mexican postmodernism in the 1980s and 1990s. His work is part of collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MoCA), the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), and many others, both public and private.
OPC Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Commemorative Bottles
As with each OPC anniversary, the content of the exhibitions relates to the history and customs of Puerto Vallarta. This year, OPC honors the coastal raicilla production through commemorative bottles illustrated by artists Brewster Brockmann, Marcos Ramírez ERRE, Javier M. Rodríguez, and Fallen Fruit, in collaboration with Atarraya Raicilla and Embrujo Raicilla. These bottles will be available for purchase, with proceeds supporting OPC’s ongoing exhibition and educational programs.
About the Office of Cultural Projects (OPC)
The Office of Cultural Projects (OPC) is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to fostering dialogue through exhibitions, round tables, public art, and arts education programs. OPC collaborates with artists, architects, curators, academics, and writers who create ideas shaping our notion of the city and a cultural landscape tied to Puerto Vallarta but with global reach. It was founded with the intention of contributing to the reflection on the contemporary sociocultural and artistic environment and with the vocation of sharing it with Puerto Vallarta and its visitors.
OPC wishes to thank the Barlow family for their generous donation of the building use; William Hobi for his continued support; and the OPC board of directors, as well as our collaborators and sponsors, Atarraya Raicilla, Embrujo Raicilla, and Tequila 1800.
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