MUSEUM OF MEXICO CITY
Social Architecture
Social Architecture
Built in the 17th century, the museum used to be a Palace where the Counts of Santiago de Calimaya used to live. It was recognized as one of Mexico’s National Heritage sites in 1931 and in 1960 turned into the Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico (Museum of Mexico City). It’s a versatile museum that stimulates a variety of senses from paint to sculptures to movies and concerts, the museum offers something for everyone.
Raymundo Sesma is a world renowned multidisciplinary and architectural Mexican artist. Ever since his career started, he has been on a mission to create “social architecture” and make inert objects come to life through his interventions. When Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico contacted him to do an art intervention, he saw a great opportunity.
The building is extremely old, making the surfaces a challenge when painting. Sesma wanted to experiment with new technologies and work with paint that really delivered. The museum wanted to use materials that could protect the walls without harming and could resist climate conditions, like extreme humidity. Sesma learned about Eastman™ materials used in past preservation and restoration projects in Mexico and chose Eastman Texanol™ ester alcohol to be the best fit.
“Using sustainable and top of the line materials is a priority,” says Sesma. “It’s important the materials used will preserve the intervention and represent the hard work of many people who helped make the walls of the museum come alive.”
Texanol™ is a premier coalescent for latex paints, dealing efficiently with extreme temperatures and humidities, working in all weather conditions with enough flexibility to cover many substrates with different levels of porosity. In addition, low water solubility improves paint rheology for excellent flow and leveling to ensure a Texanol-enhanced coating creates a beautiful and flawless finish.
The intervention from beginning to end took roughly 3 weeks. The space Sesma developed, a “social architecture”, builds ideas, making the spectator give meaning to a specific space in a critical way. He believes color and lines add movement to static objects or structures making inert matter fill with energy. The most important thing about the space is that the spectator transitions from just a perceptive feeling to an intellective interpretation.
For the Museum and Sesma, the intervention is like a breath of fresh air. It encourages a different interaction with a space that visitors have appreciated for years. The exhibit represents the positive outcome when culture, local governments and global companies work together to make this world a better place to live.
Raymundo Sesma is a world renowned multidisciplinary and architectural Mexican artist. Ever since his career started, he has been on a mission to create “social architecture” and make inert objects come to life through his interventions. When Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico contacted him to do an art intervention, he saw a great opportunity.
The building is extremely old, making the surfaces a challenge when painting. Sesma wanted to experiment with new technologies and work with paint that really delivered. The museum wanted to use materials that could protect the walls without harming and could resist climate conditions, like extreme humidity. Sesma learned about Eastman™ materials used in past preservation and restoration projects in Mexico and chose Eastman Texanol™ ester alcohol to be the best fit.
“Using sustainable and top of the line materials is a priority,” says Sesma. “It’s important the materials used will preserve the intervention and represent the hard work of many people who helped make the walls of the museum come alive.”
Texanol™ is a premier coalescent for latex paints, dealing efficiently with extreme temperatures and humidities, working in all weather conditions with enough flexibility to cover many substrates with different levels of porosity. In addition, low water solubility improves paint rheology for excellent flow and leveling to ensure a Texanol-enhanced coating creates a beautiful and flawless finish.
The intervention from beginning to end took roughly 3 weeks. The space Sesma developed, a “social architecture”, builds ideas, making the spectator give meaning to a specific space in a critical way. He believes color and lines add movement to static objects or structures making inert matter fill with energy. The most important thing about the space is that the spectator transitions from just a perceptive feeling to an intellective interpretation.
For the Museum and Sesma, the intervention is like a breath of fresh air. It encourages a different interaction with a space that visitors have appreciated for years. The exhibit represents the positive outcome when culture, local governments and global companies work together to make this world a better place to live.
