|
Let's Go2Guadalajara - Articles The Cabanas Orphanage - Patrimony of Humanity
A little bit of history: Its history began during the colonial time when the bishop Don Juan Cruz de Cabañas y Crespo arrived in Guadalajara. The first project of the bishop was the construction of a shelter for orphans, old and homeless people which would also function as a factory where children could learn a trade thus offering them a better and more dignified future. He chose one of the best architects and sculptors of the epoch to carry out the task: the Spaniard Manuel Tolsa. The construction began in 1805, under the direction of the master builder Jose Gutierrez, and five years later the then called House of Mercy opened its doors to the first orphans and poor people even though the building was not finished yet.
The Hospicio continued to be involved in the political changes of the nation, among them the laws of the Reformation which caused the Hospicio to fall under the jurisdiction of the government. Later on in 1910 with the outbreak of the Revolution the country entered chaos which also affected the work of the Hospicio Cabañas which already lodged 770 refugees. Once the fights of the Revolution concluded, the Hospicio Cabanas continued with its welfare program until 1980, when the orphans were transferred to new and more comfortable facilities. Therewith the building closed its cycle as an orphanage. In 1983 the building which is now called the Cultural Institute Cabañas was turned into a museum and a center of cultural promotion.
The hand of the painter: José Clemente Orozco arrived at the Hospicio Cabañas at the end of 1937. He had been invited by the Government of Jalisco to paint the old chapel, without knowing then that this project – which was finished in March 1939 - would later The painter was a native of Zapotlan, Jalisco and belonged to the group of post-revolutionaries, who were convinced that art should be shared by people of all the social classes. They turned to creating monumental works and always did so in public places. With this ideal in mind Orozco dedicated himself with intensity to the decoration of the chapel. He painted in silence, attaching his brushes to a long reed rod in order to be able to reach the high spaces of the building. There was a final stage when he worked like a surgeon, asking his assistant for instruments and materials. Throughout two years, Orozco painted 57 murals on the walls, the vault and the cupola of the chapel. Through contrasts the artist expressed dramatic human attitudes related to the history of Conquest, of colonial and of modern times thus addressing historical subjects as well as the deepest and most universal layers of human existence. In these murals Orozco portrayed indigenous scenes and elements belonging to the pre-Hispanic life in Mexico. He illustrated the confrontation between the Spaniards and the natives not only in a military sense, but referring to the imposition of spiritual values as well. He also represented the transition and the influence of western culture on the Mexican culture. In addition Orozco included the foundation of Guadalajara, too offering aspects of its history and of the typical characteristics of the city.
The mural of the FIRE MAN was designed in order to be seen from a distance of 27 meters. Therefore it was extremely complicated to carry it out. The most interesting fact is to discover how Orozco achieved that a person painted onto a curved surface is perceived from that distance as if he stood up straight, moving up. This was caused by the artist not only taking into consideration the real distances, but also considering the spectator within the same space. This proves that Orozco had knowledge of perspective, optics and mathematics, but above all it shows that he had an intuitive sense of space. His collection of murals is a faithful expression of the thinking of the artist: brave and revolutionary, with a strong character that continues to impregnate the contours and colors of these walls. The Cultural Cabañas Institute today: This extraordinary building of rigorous symmetry consists of 23 patios and 2 chapels and has a total surface of 23,477.90 square meters. Its long corridors lead to the patios and to the gardens providing illumination for the rooms that once upon a time were dormitories and that nowadays hold exhibitions of national and international contemporary art.
Every day the spaces update themselves with the presence of visitors interested in art. This centennial building, soaked with history and humanistic experiences, preserves between its quarry walls the cultural and artistic heritage, giving identity to the people of Jalisco. In order to enable it to accommodate high level exhibitions and following the guidelines established by the ICOM for exhibitions, at the moment the Cabanas Museum Cabins is in a process of intervention and updating respecting the integrity of the original building. Once the remodeling project is concluded, the museum will have the following spaces: • 30 exhibition halls
Reception places or capacity by area: Spaces for rent and for events • Tolsa chapel • Main Patio • Jose Clemente Orozco Patio: 250 people (dinner) Hospicio Cabañas Administrative Address:
|
|
|||||||
|
The building occupied by the Cultural Institute Cabañas is an architectural work distinguishing the city of Guadalajara without any doubt. In addition to its imposing and beautiful neoclassic presidency, its walls have maintained relevant moments of the regional history. Nowadays the Cultural Institute Cabañas is an important center of cultural diffusion preserving the most important murals painted by Jose Clemente Orozco. These values, among other aspects, determined that the old Hospicio Cabañas was declared Patrimony of Humanity in December 1997. 
The Mexican War of Independence exploded that same year (1810) and the House of Mercy could not escape the turmoil of this war. Troops of Spaniards and of those fighting for independence occupied it. Soldiers, horses and arms were accommodated here, even long after the consolidation of Independence. In 1829 the building resumed its humanitarian mission, and finally the project of the original construction was finished in 1845. Since that moment it has been called Hospicio Cabañas in honor of its founder. 
be considered the greatest and most significant plastic work of the country. 
Nevertheless without any doubt, the culminating work of the series of murals is the FIRE MAN. The mural is located in the cupola of the chapel. We can see a human figure engulfed by flames. For some, the man in flames and the three figures surrounding him are a representation of the four elements of nature: fire, air, earth and water. For other critics the scene alludes to the metaphor of the Phenix that has fallen in order to rise again in the future referring to the eternal flow of history in which the painter believed. 
At the moment, the Cultural Institute Cabañas preserves, investigates and promotes the work of Jose Clemente Orozco. In addition to the murals, a total of 340 works of the artist are exhibited in a rotational manner. The collection is made up of drawings, sketches for the murals, graphic works and paintings carried out with the guncotton technique. Among other outstanding pieces of heritage protected by the Cultural Institute Cabanas there are works by Mathias Goeritz and the Collection of the People of Jalisco, composed of paintings and sculptures of local artists from Jalisco. 
© 1995 - 2006 Let's Go2Mexico ® - All Rights Reserved |