What Do You Think?

Some of my readers may miss this comment on the blog entry about Luces de Historia y Libertad. I think it brings up a couple of good points so I'd like to know your thoughts on these issues.

JW's Comment: Of course, we are just looking at small static images online, but my first reaction was that this is not really appropriate for a church, not even with today's popular culture. Didn't say anything, just showed the pics to the Mexican better-half who is, quite frankly, in a word, appalled.
JW
-Mexican bicentennial/French artist?
 
My Reply: JW, You bring up a couple of interesting points. I thought it was a little strange that the Mexicans employed a French Artist to do this work. In general the Mexicans are very nationalistic. I can't imagine them employing an artist from the USA but maybe a Frenchman is okay since they killed off Maximillan by way of the firing squad and got rid of the government imposed by the French.

The other issue, the light show on the church.... I did not think that was odd at all. There is such a strange mix between the Country of Mexico and the Catholic church. We were in the Jardin with hundreds of Mexicans watching the light show and all of them seemed delighted and proud of their country and the bicentennial celebration. I have not heard of anything negative in any of the Mexican newspapers about the light show or the fact that it is projected on the face of the Parroquia church.
 
Calypso of Viva Veracruz blog has already weighed in with a comment about the light show being projected on the church: JW - I guess throwing some colored light on the Cathedral is more disrespectful than pummeling its surfaces with explosives? Often the case in our area; much celebrating with fireworks that often pellet the building. Oh well one mans revelry is another's revoltion I guess. 

What about some of the rest of my readers:
 
1. What do you think about a Frenchman being employed to do the light show?
2. Do you think it is inappropriate for the multimedia light show about the history of Mexico to be reflected on a Mexican church?

Luces de Historia y Libertad

What an experience we had last night. We went into the Jardin for dinner and ate at the Cafe San Francisco so that we could watch what was happening in the Jardin but the reason we were there was because we wanted to see the light show on the Parroquia. The light show was designed by the French artist Xavier de Richemont to celebrate Mexico's Bicentennial. Actually he designed light shows for five historic buildings in Guanajuato--the Parroquia in San Miguel, the Alhondiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato, the monument in honor of Miguel Hidaldo in Penjamo, the parish church in Dolores Hidalgo and the Templo Expiatoria in Leon. Now that I have seen the one in San Miguel, I want to see the other four.

Richemont created digitalized drawings and photographs that are projected on the face of a building in a multimedia show. The show lasts for about 20 minutes and it depicts his interpretation of the historical events that occurred in each of the cities listed above. My two images do not do the show justice because the scenes melt into one another or grow up the building dissolving and morphing into the next image. It must have been very difficult to make the one for the Parroquia because of the shape and spires of the building but Richemont used the building as a design element for the show. I'm sure the development for some of the other light shows that are projected on flatter buildings must have been easier. The music that goes with the show was also selected by Richemont.

Let me tell you....the one in San Miguel is fabulous. It will be shown here every weekend for two years. Don't wait. Come see it but plan to see it more than once.