Oaxaca
On a walking tour of Oaxaca we are taken to an art library established by the sculptor Francisco Toledo, an indigenous Zapotec artist and something of a local hero. When the library became too much of a financial burden to maintain, he sold it to the local government for 1 peso on the condition that it would remain free and open for use. It’s a beautiful space. As we arrive there is a talk underway in an auditorium which is not quite open air. Rather its roof is of tangled vines, allowing only slivers of the sunset to penetrate through to the stone tiled floors and neatly-arranged chairs. The speaker is struggling to be heard over the sound of hundreds of birds, returning to their nests for the evening. Oaxaca is a city of artists. Walk down the street and it is more mural than wall. These are load-bearing. Rows of shops sell pig-shaped pots made by indigenous pottery collectives in the Sierra Nevada mountains, or brightly coloured rugs and wool, or handmade soaps, or scree...
