COFFEE WITH
LIDIA RIVEROS: “LIVING OUTSIDE OF MEXICO MAXIMIZES YOUR MEXICAN IDENTITY”
Name: Lidia Riveros
Profession: Curator
Nationality: Mexican
Instagram: @lidiariveros01
LATINNESS: How did your passion for creating altars begin?
LIDIA: As a child, we used to set them up and celebrate at home, which brings back beautiful memories. I must confess that when you live outside of Mexico, you really miss and appreciate not just the food but also the customs. This one, in particular, has international significance and touches your heart. It was in Singapore that I started making altars in open spaces, not just at home, to share the tradition.
LATINNESS: Do you remember any key moments or experiences that pushed you toward this practice?
LIDIA: The second year I arrived in Singapore, I was elected president of the Spanish-Speaking Women’s Association (SSWA), and I felt the need to showcase Mexican culture. The Day of the Dead altar was the collaborative expression that inspired me to create community installations.
LATINNESS: What does this tradition mean to you?
LIDIA: It’s a tradition of gratitude, memories, and joys, which always makes me reflect on the connection with others and love. It also represents a bond with Mexico, as it’s something that defines me as a Mexican. An altar is the syncretism of pre-Hispanic culture and Catholicism, showing my identity and giving me the opportunity to share the culture I was born into. Additionally, creating it as a team is very important because it unites all those who participate.
LATINNESS: Tell us about your altar this year at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore.
LIDIA: This year, the altar was dedicated to artisans worldwide, with an offering to master artisan Pedro Linares. I proposed this theme since earlier this year, the museum held an exhibition on the Manila-Acapulco Galleon, and next year several pieces will go to Mexico City to be part of another exhibit.
Most of the pieces, which are beautiful, were made by unrecognized artisans. In fact, almost everything you see in museums is like that. These artisans have played an important role in sharing techniques and materials, uniting cultures worldwide, so I dedicated this altar to them as a form of gratitude and recognition.
LATINNESS: How was the creative process, and which artisans did you collaborate with to bring it to life?
LIDIA: The most important part of the process is the space; I spend days and hours in the designated area because it speaks to you about the different possibilities. Of course, connecting it with the institution is also relevant. Once I have an idea, I start creating a mood board to give it shape. Once it’s clear, I know which artisans I need to involve, and I discuss directly with them the ideas and potential modifications. For this altar, master artisan Pedro Ortega was in charge of the perforated paper, and master Leonardo Linares handled the papier-mâché skulls. But when making community installations, volunteers also play a crucial role in sharing and creating experiences and community.
LATINNESS: What emotions or reflections do you seek to evoke through your art?
LIDIA: First, I’d like my fellow Mexicans to find a piece of Mexico in it, to feel proud and happy to be Mexican. And second, for this altar to evoke smiles and curiosity in all visitors and inspire them to reflect on the similarities between different cultures.
LATINNESS: You’ve lived in several countries. How have different foreign cultures reacted to your altars?
LIDIA: Here, it was challenging to get permission to display it in public spaces because the concept of death and skulls is taboo. Although the Chinese community has a similar festival, they place altars outside their homes to keep the spirits from entering. It wasn’t until the movie Coco came out here that there was more openness. In fact, children are the ones who bring their families to see the altar; it has become a family event.
LATINNESS: After twelve years in the UK and seventeen in Singapore, how do you keep your identity and connection to Mexican culture alive? Does this influence your artistic work?
LIDIA: Completely. Living outside of Mexico maximizes your Mexican identity; you become more rooted in your traditions, memories, and customs. Over the years, I’ve tried to recreate many traditions. For example, I wear traditional Mexican clothing every Friday or at any public event. I lead a Mexican folk dance group called MITOTE, give talks at schools about Mexican culture, and teach Spanish at the National University of Singapore because the language is part of the culture.
LATINNESS: In your experience, how can altar creation build bridges between cultures and communities?
LIDIA: Culture is generally the first and most effective approach for any intercultural contact. I’m convinced that the more you know about a person’s or community’s culture, the better understanding you’ll have, creating a better society. In my altars, I always try to include elements that are similar, if not identical, so people can recognize and feel familiar with them. This helps open their curiosity and hearts to the installations.
LATINNESS: How do art and traditions help us understand each other better and build more harmonious societies between countries?
LIDIA: They allow us to gain greater knowledge of others, leading to respect and empathy. Traditions show us the similarities between communities and make it easier to appreciate that despite distances, we aren’t so different from one another.
LATINNESS: Your altars often combine traditional and contemporary elements. How do you decide what aspects of the old to preserve and what innovations to include?
LIDIA: It depends on the place and the person the altar is dedicated to. My altars aren’t truly traditional, but I consider myself a storyteller, so I present a narrative, which allows me to combine elements.
LATINNESS: What challenges have you faced in presenting a tradition as deeply cultural as that of the altars in international contexts? Have you ever had to adapt your work to make it more accessible?
LIDIA: Yes, definitely. As I mentioned before, here in Asia the perception of death and spirits is a delicate and taboo subject. For example, in museums, I cannot exhibit anything religious or display photos of people, as Asians wouldn’t enter that room out of respect, and to some extent, fear.
In the botanical gardens, I proposed a Day of the Dead exhibition, and they accepted a Mexican display, but without skulls, so I had to shift it to pre-Hispanic cultures. It turned out beautiful, but it required a total transformation of the concept.
LATINNESS: What has been your most personal altar so far? Why?
LIDIA: The altar dedicated to migrants. This proposal was rejected a couple of times because here in Singapore, no political topics can be addressed, and this one is particularly sensitive. But when I presented it a third time, I changed it and represented it with the monarch butterfly, which migrates from Canada to Mexico. It was a very beautiful and personal altar, as I am a migrant.
LATINNESS: The creation of altars has a strong spiritual connection. How does your spirituality or beliefs influence your artistic process?
LIDIA: My spiritual connection is closely related to pre-Hispanic philosophy, in which death was seen as a natural process and part of the circle of existence, as everything has to die to give life. I find this concept very profound and healing.
The altar is a celebration of the life of our ancestors, as well as an expression of gratitude and recognition, and I always try to show this.
LATINNESS: If you could create an altar anywhere in the world, where would it be, and what key elements would it have?
LIDIA: That’s such a difficult question because I have several dreams, not just one:
- At the Tate Gallery in London, because I lived there for many years and have dual nationality, which I would like to showcase, and because it’s a country where there is freedom of expression. I would love to create an altar with a political theme; for example, dedicated to the children of Gaza who have died.
- Madrid, perhaps for obvious reasons, and because Day of the Dead was celebrated before the Spaniards arrived. I would like to create it at the Reina Sofía or in a significant public space and show an Aztec tradition, an altar dedicated to the Aztecs.
- Mexico City. I know there are many altars there, but I think I would like to create one dedicated to what Asian cultures have given us, to the people who have contributed to cultural exchange, to Great China, where the Chinese dragon meets Quetzalcoatl.
