The Mural That Will Choose Its Own Name...

Jorge de Luna

The monumental essence of science and technology is the challenge for master muralist Ariosto Otero, a inheritor of the revolutionary movement of the 1920s which still inspires him today to express his art on the walls of the "Juan de Dios Bátiz" Historical and Cultural Center, known as the "Cuadrilatero," at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional.

Otero, on the cusp of celebrating 43 years on scaffolding, alongside the director and secretary-general of the Polytechnic, Arturo Reyes Sandoval and Carlos Ruiz Cárdenas, respectively, initiated the symbolic scraping and texturing of the wall, marking the commencement of the bas-relief mural.

Mexican muralism, which represented communicative action for the popular masses through an indigenous ideology, is now reflected on the walls of the IPN, one of the "children of the Mexican Revolution," states the esteemed Mexican artist in an interview with the Gaceta Politécnica.

With the "brochure containing all the careers at the Polytechnic" as his muse, the visual artist – author of over 65 works – invited Director Reyes Sandoval to ascend the scaffolding to a height of three meters, to take up the gouge and carve the screen-printed stuccos. This technique, originating from the Maya and Aztec cultures, will bring to life the origins of the Institute as a "humanistic legacy through this mural."

And though the fresco is yet to bear a name – because, as Ariosto Otero suggests, it's waiting for greater consolidation – in the middle of its creation, it might just "choose its own name, as the mural is a living entity, and in the end, it will take on the name it deserves."

The challenge of climbing the scaffolding to contribute to the work was also taken up by Secretary Ruiz Cárdenas, who added his touch to portraying the characters, the history, the reason behind the creation of the Politécnico, its purpose, and for whom; ultimately finding the heritage of the Revolution: the IPN.

Inspired Strokes

Tenacious and a driving force behind various collective art organizations, Master Ariosto Otero shares that for this project, he delved into discovering the number of courses offered at the IPN, as well as the subjects and topics taught. For instance, he was intrigued by robotics and a bit of science; all the courses, "all the subjects appeal to me because that's where the tools to either diminish or magnify the planet lie," he says.

The fresco that will reside in the "Cuadrilatero" will employ the same technique as the ancient murals found on a stela, in a temple, or on a pyramid; adorned with stuccos (sand, lime, oxide, and tree resins). "In the past, they used resins because they were the adhesive. The only thing that changed here is cement, but it's still the same source, the same relief, and the same story."

He exclaims that the young polytechnicians are faced with something marvelous – a mother institution. He urges them to love it, give more to it, and value it every day, as they receive everything in exchange for nothing, in exchange for becoming greater in life, within their families, and for the planet.

He recalls a phrase he engraved in his most recent work, the planetarium in Ecatepec created by Fernando Vilchis, where he stated: "A brutal civilization is destroying the planet."

"We are immersed in this, and here is science, technology; we must see the world differently, not to overpower each other. But we live in social resentment," he concludes.

Gaceta Politécnica #1738. (July 31st, 2023). IPN Imagen Institucional: Read the full magazine in Spanish here