The Talavera Project / Un Proyecto de Talavera is a research initiative that MANUFACTURA is executing in partnership with Uriarte Talavera. This workshop was established in 1824 and is recognized as the first producer of Talavera in Mexico.
This workshop is located in a historic mansion in the heart of the historic center of the city of Puebla, and it fully preserves the tinware manufacturing process introduced in the sixteenth century in New Spain. As of 2019, this manufacturing process is part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Uriarte Talavera, n.d.). The Uriarte House has two major problems today: the lack of innovation and the high level of waste they produce in their manufacturing process, which is a material and process of denomination of origin and protected by law.
The primary goal of this project is to showcase the synergy between tradition and innovation, creating a new dialogue between handmade craftsmanship, which is intrinsic to the country’s cultural heritage, and technological and industrial innovation, which is represented by digital fabrication: robotic 3D printing. When these two terms, “high tech” and “low tech,” come together, they become one: “tech.”
This project is composed of two elements that provide a solution to the two issues mentioned earlier: a column made of 80 Talavera pieces that were replicated from a mold that was created based on a 3D printed piece. The objective is to promote conscious evolution that preserves our roots and fosters identity. Throughout the manufacturing process, the essential role of water as a central element in our palette of materials is highlighted.
The project illustrates how water is intertwined with the creation of the signature cobalt blue color palette, which is an iconic hue that arises from a mineral amalgam of aluminates and cobalt silicates, encapsulating the essence of Talavera.
Project Info
MANUFACTURA + Uriarte Talavera:
Dinorah Schulte (Guest Artist / Co-Founder / Project Management) / MANUFACTURA
Edurne Morales (Co-Founder / Computational Designer) / MANUFACTURA
Mariana Muñoz (Chief Executive Officer) / Uriarte Talavera
Arturo Rojas (Production Management) / Uriarte Talavera
Katia Ramirez (Production Management)/ Uriarte Talavera
CRAFTSMEN / Uriarte Talavera:
Cesar Oropeza – Barros, Arturo Rojas – Barros, Miguel Vazquez – Barros, Hector Dominguez – Barros, Artemio Romero – Hornos, Ángel López – Hornos, Claudia Pérez – Calidad, Jessica González – Calidad, Beatriz Chavez – Jahuete, Massiel Xique – Jahuete, Claudia Rocha – Jahuete, Alberto Garcia – Vidriado, Carmen Cardona – Vidriado, Patricia de la Rosa – Vidriado, Santa Micaela – Vidriado, Norma Juarez – Vidriado, Enrique Vazquez – Pintura, Sergio Ayona – Pintura, Guadalupe Ruelas – Pintura, Neli Pérez – Pintura, Ericka Alarcón – Estarcido
Collabrators / MANUFACTURA: Jared Zarate, Erick Marin
Research: Uriarte Talavera
Photography: Arturo Arrieta, Enrique Aguilar, Dinorah Schulte
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