Exhibitions

Papel amate – Amate paper – is one of Mexico’s most ancient forms of creation and worship. Banned by the Spanish, for centuries the secrets of its production and ritual use were handed down through generation after generation of indigenous shamans and craftsmen.

Today, a small village called San Pablito in Puebla is one of the few places where papel amate is still produced, remaining a key feature in the ritual life of the Otomi people who live there. While anyone may produce the paper, only the shamans are able to make it magical, by cutting it into shapes that are said to enclose the spirits of plants and gods.

At the end of last year, we went on a pilgrimage to Pahuatlán to track down the people who make and use papel amate. There, we were able to visit San Pablito and spend time with leading figures in the community.

The exhibition SHAMAN PAPER invites you to follow this journey through snapshots of a mysterious, centuries-old practice and to admire the fruits of this pilgrimage: the bewildering intricacy of original cut-outs from San Pablito and the captivating beauty of a copy of an Otomi shamanic book.

Curated by Giada Dalla Bontá, this exhibition is produced by Vetro Editions in collaboration with Mexico City Lit. The exhibition is to be held in the KAMO atélier studio space in Neukölln, Berlin.

We want to thank Miguel Torres and Citlalli Lopez Binnquist, without whose help the exhibition would never have been possible.