Balance in the permanent collection of MUAC

The Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) has recently acquired one of Joel Escalona's Obsidian Balance pieces for its permanent collection.

The Balance serie was part of the exhibition Una modernidad hecha a mano: Diseño artesanal en México, 1952-2022, which explored the concept of craft design in Mexico from 1950 to the present.

The Balance series consists of ten pieces made of various materials that challenge the laws of equilibrium. Each piece was produced using different traditional trades, craft techniques, and Mexican industrial technologies that Escalona has explored throughout his career. The collection showcases the balance between technique, people, and ideas in each composition.

As a public and university museum of contemporary art, the MUAC is dedicated to generating knowledge and critical discourse in partnership with the community. Its mission is to serve as a reference for the awareness and creation of new artistic expressions, and to present avant-garde public programs aimed at teaching, creating new experiences, and encouraging aesthetic pleasure. The MUAC's collection includes work produced by artists based in Mexico since 1952, the year in which the University City campus was inaugurated.

Overall, the acquisition of an Obsidian Balance piece by the MUAC highlights the importance of craft design in Mexico and the ongoing efforts of the museum to preserve and study this important aspect of Mexican visual culture.