The Wire Universe of Máscaras de Alambre
In the midst of emotional talks and a friendly atmosphere, almost unconsciously, David’s hands (which had been playing with a wire for a while) created what would later become an art project he would build and grow hand in hand with Pablo, his partner. The result that day was a wire face whose expression reflected upon everyone else in the room. Over the next three years, the idea evolved, matured and consolidated into Máscaras de Alambre, a creative hub founded by Mexican self-taught artist duo David Miguel Herrera and Pablo Cobo, who seek to represent the deepest feelings of humankind through masks, sculptures, interactive installations, costume and performance — all handcrafted with wire, of course.
Humankind, anatomy, ecosystems, natural symbols, animals, plants, music, two minds, four hands and two hearts. For Máscaras de Alambre — which literally means “wire masks” in Spanish — inspiration comes from a magical condition where arts and culture act as a scape to rebuild ourselves as individuals and as a society.
After working together for the cover of our first issue, I found a moment to talk with Pablo and David about their beginnings, creative process and the future of art after the COVID-19 outbreak.
Pablo and David. Photo courtesy: Máscaras de Alambre.
Georgina: How did you meet?
David: Almost five years ago, a friend we have in common invited us for dinner, already knowing that maybe we would bond and even fall in love… and that’s how it happened. How right you were, Nicole!
G: You have always been involved in visual and performative arts, but how did the idea of creating Máscaras de Alambre was born?
Pablo: Both of our circumstances were very important when starting this project. We were both recently unemployed and we didn’t want to look for a job just to pay our bills, we wanted to dedicate all our time and energy to art. We had always been very interested in creative research, and we had approached diverse artistic disciplines such as painting, photography, sculpture, film and theater. However, we were not sure how to develop it. One day David bought a bottle of wine, and with the wire that held the bottle’s cork, he created a face. When we saw it, we were shocked by the feeling and facial expression it transmitted, so we hung it at the main entrance of our home, where it was admired by everyone who visited us. We began experimenting with this material — this time with hooks. We did dozens of faces expressing anger and anxiety, which were the emotions we were feeling back then. We hung them at our place, we gave them to our friends and family as gifts and, inevitably, they ended up wearing them as masks and taking pictures with them. This is how we discovered the nature of the masks. And the name, well… it says it all!
G: Where does your inspiration come from? Where can we find it in your creative process?
D: We believe that inspiration has a certain magical quality, and we don’t always know how it happens. However, some of the themes that inspire us are human beings, their bodies and anatomy, the nature of the ecosystems with all their forms and symbols, animals and plants. Music is also very important in our process as we not only need it when we create new pieces, we have actually collaborated with all types of musicians and artists. The truth is that after all these years of working together, this process has become entirely organic. Even though there are some things where Pablo and I disagree, it’s there where the most interesting concepts are born. When our ideas “crash” is when we build a whole new perspective.
Photos courtesy: Máscaras de Alambre.
G: Which have been some of your most recent projects?
P: The first formal collective exhibition we participated in was a project named Noches de Autor. A project by our dear friend Meteora Fontana, exposing emergent art in Mexico City. Shortly after, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) invited us to do an art installation at Biblioteca Vasconcelos, about endemic species in danger of extinction. This was the first time we set up a large-format installation in a public space. We have participated in different music and art festivals such as Carnaval de Bahidorá (2018), GNP Art With Me Tulum Photo: Courtesy of the artist. 16 (2018 y 2019), GNP Arte Careyes Film & Arts Festival (2019), Estado Silvestre, Valle de Guadalupe (2019) and recently, we participated in the first edition of Espacios de Colisión, an extraordinary art festival in Monterrey. Thanks to our dear friend Martin Ferreyra, last year we had the opportunity to travel to Big Bay, in Ontario, Canada to create an installation in a public space. We are part of Mooi Collective, which despite being mainly formed by musicians, we had the luck of joining as visual artists, collaborating in music videos, live sets and managing projects. In addition, we have found a spot in the editorial world, collaborating with different photographers, fashion stylists and brands in Mexico, the United States and China.
Photo courtesy: Máscaras de Alambre.
G: How different do you think Máscaras de Alambre will be after the pandemic?
P: When the lockdown is over, David and I will focus on the responsibility to report everything that has been destroyed and emphasize what builds us up. We know that when this is all over, we will need to generate work that helps bring people together again and that invites people to reflect on what being human means. We believe in the importance of creating a movement to reset trust in each other. We will all change after this situation, and that’s good because change is the motor of evolution.
G: Any upcoming projects?
D: There’s this project we have been involved in as promoters and as artists that was born in the middle of the pandemic and we are very excited about: Muxic Sessions. It is one of the latest of Mooi Collective’s collaborations with international allies, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture, that invites us to collectively generate unpublished songs from home. Our participation in this project is related to the visual projection of music through various pieces created by a group of talented artists.very excited about: Muxic Sessions. It is one of the latest of Mooi Collective’s collaborations with international allies, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture, that invites us to collectively generate unpublished songs from home. Our participation in this project is related to the visual projection of music through various pieces created by a group of talented artists.
Pablo and David. Photos courtesy: Máscaras de Alambre.
DAVID
Where are you right now?
Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
Morning ritual
Hug my cats, yoga session and coffee.
A book you will never get tired of reading
The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
If home could be a person too, who’s home to you?
Pablo is my home, my best friend and my love.
Instagram feeds that inspire you
@publicdomainrev, @world_of_snakes, @zioziegler, @pedrofrideberg
Definition of heaven
A night swim in bioluminescence.
Next place you are traveling to
Baja California
Favorite work of art
Mayan crystal skulls.
A song you have been playing on loop lately
I’m Your Man by Leonard Cohen
Something in your closet you can’t live without
Black leather biker jacket
PABLO
Where are you right now?
Cuernavaca.
Morning ritual
French press coffee, conversation with my cats, yoga session, drink my smoothie, 30-minute swim.
A book you will never get tired of reading
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
If home could be a person too, who’s home to you?
David, my partner, boyfriend and lover.
Instagram feeds that inspire you
@octonation, @publicdomainrev, @daltmejd, @leadbeater, @sanchez_kane, @garyblythe.art, @jojoabot
Definition of heaven
Swimming naked, great sex and some wine.
Next place you are traveling to
Baja California.
Favorite work of art
Les Demoiselles D’Avignon by Pablo Picasso (1907), Maman by Louise Bourgeois.
A song you have been playing on loop lately
I Am a Victim of This Song - Pipilotti Rist, Anders Guggisberg.
Something in your closet you can’t live without
89’ In Between Days Cure t-shirt.
Follow them on Instagram @máscarasdealambre