Hailing from Oaxaca, Mexico, Vica Pacheco explores the (super)natural characteristics of human and non-human connections through Mesoamerican cosmologies. Inspired by the richness of her roots, the Brussels-based artist translates these cosmologies into interdisciplinary works, ranging from experimental music and instrument creation to 3D animation.
Growing up in a place where Mesoamerican roots are still preserved, while at the same time being imbued with colonial culture, Pacheco considers herself to be a syncretic consequence of this dynamic; her practice intertwines ancient and pre-colonial knowledge with contemporary technologies.
Mesoamerica refers to a historical region in Central America, encompassing parts of present-day Mexico and neighbouring countries. Known for ancient civilizations like the Aztecs and Maya, Mesoamerica boasts a rich cultural heritage with distinctive art, architecture, and cosmologies, influencing artists like Pacheco. ‘I am fascinated by the sensitive and powerful artistic creations from ancient Mexicans, which were inextricably linked to their daily lives and to their sacred and religious beliefs.’ Pacheco’s artistic practice was born as a consequence of this curiosity and aims to reconnect with her heritage and to what she calls ‘magic value systems’, which have been shaping her imagination since she was little.
To understand these ‘magic value systems’, one needs to understand the perception of the human-nature relationship before colonial invasion. Pacheco explains how Western culture understands nature as a pyramid, with humans at the top, and other life forms coming secondary. Through her research on ancient cultures, she discovered a non-pyramidal and collaborative connection between humans and nature. In a way, these ‘magic value systems’ are a reflection of this vision, where rites or 'small rituals' are done in order to ‘activate or deactivate bridges between nature and us’. In other words, a non-hierarchical way of understanding nature allows for more exciting, and even ‘magical’ ways to interact with sounds, images, shapes, and, naturally, art.
'I truly believe that sounds can create this infra-connection with something else'
Experimental archaeology
Part of Pacheco’s artistic practice is constituted by the creation of instruments, with which she creates movement-induced installations, performances, and experimental hybrid music sets. The instruments are inspired by an old technology: whistling vessels. These are prehispanic instruments that produce sound thanks to a hydraulic flute system that appeared 1000 b.c in Mesoamerica. Working on this ancient technology was linked to an interest in how her ancestors built these objects to communicate with non-human entities. Also fascinated by new technologies, she decided to fuse these ancient techniques with new ones through an experimental archaeological approach.
Once Pacheco fully understood the complex instruments, she began to build prototypes in 3D and printed them to see if they actually worked. Eventually, she had the opportunity to do a residency at EKWC (European Ceramic Work Center), what she describes as the paradise for contemporary ceramics: ‘There, I could create around 25 instruments, using the milling machine to create moulds from my 3D prototypes, casting clay and classic ceramic technics.’
Part of this archaeological process is to understand why her ancestors created so many variations of whistle sounds. It is a common belief throughout Mesoamerican cultures that humans eventually transcend into becoming spirits who can be communicated with. For Pacheco, it then became a natural notion that these instruments could be means to communicate with humans, animals as well as spirits and even not-yet-deciphered forms of existence. Notions of sound-induced rituals (as was the case with the whistling vessels) and how they can elevate the states of mind through sound frequencies are also constant factors that interweave the flourishing framework Pacheco’s practice is embedded in. ‘I truly believe that sounds can create this infra-connection with something else.’ In other words, through sounds, one can connect to other people, animals and the environment they are in.
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Pensamientos mágicos (magical thoughts)
The idea of dynamic, non-pyramidal nature relations is also a constant reference in Pacheco’s animation work. Her video animation ‘Alambique’, for example, shows an alternative world in which barriers presented by rationality and ‘what makes sense’ are ignored. It’s an imagined reality in which magical interactions can generate movements, colours, shapes, and sounds not yet possible in this reality.
Her audiovisual work ‘ITA’ continues this trend where a dance of organic and imaginary non-human characters unfolds, moving to the rhythm of an improvised concert. ‘It’s like a visual exercise’, she explains.
Pensamientos mágicos (magical thoughts)
The idea of dynamic, non-pyramidal nature relations is also a constant reference in Pacheco’s animation work. Her video animation ‘Alambique’, for example, shows an alternative world in which barriers presented by rationality and ‘what makes sense’ are ignored. It’s an imagined reality in which magical interactions can generate movements, colours, shapes, and sounds not yet possible in this reality.
Her audiovisual work ‘ITA’ continues this trend where a dance of organic and imaginary non-human characters unfolds, moving to the rhythm of an improvised concert. ‘It’s like a visual exercise’, she explains.
Cover art projects done for record labels, such as the ones for ‘Ritmo Fatale’ and ‘Music from Memory’, are also a direct reflection of how a creative process led by magical thoughts can lead to otherworldly and enchanting imagery, capable of sparking anyone’s imagination.
This playful imagination is strongly influenced by the magical imagination of her childhood in Mexico. She specifically remembers how superstitions deeply influenced the way she interpreted herself and interacted with the world. If it would rain during her birthday, for example, her mom would tell her not to worry as they could stick knives in the garden soil to stop the rain. She refers to these superstitions as ‘pensamientos mágicos’, Spanish for magical thoughts.
With her latest 'vase flutes' creations, Pacheco continues her playful fantasy. These sculptures are not just a vase, but also ‘a sound tool to connect with the flowers during their last days of life’. Interspecies demarcations are once again blurred and indefinable in Pacheco’s playful imagination; a world full of pensamientos mágicos.
