By Rosario Ruiz
When you enter La Sanmiguelada bar, the first thing you notice is a beautiful mural that covers the four walls of the room. The more you look at it, the more details you find, and if you know the history of San Miguel, you will identify the meaning of each element represented. Amid the soft and warm colors, characters with devil masks perform the Los Locos dance; Ignacio Allende poses on his horse; Josefa Ortiz and Miguel Hidalgo face each other, as if in love; St. Michael the Archangel guards the entrance; mariachis play happily as the fireworks of the Alborada go off in the sky. The entire scene is represented with humor and playfulness.
José Luis Arias is the visual artist behind this magnificent work. He fell in love with San Miguel the first time he visited in 1998, enchanted by the city’s atmosphere, warmth, and magic. He found it marvelous that the people of San Miguel have made a commitment to preserve and proudly display their traditions. He is also attracted by the artistic and foreign community that joins people so well with their common worldview.
The mural is a tribute to the history of San Miguel and Mexico, according to the artist, but above all to its people. It is a redefinition of popular culture, a way to give it the importance and value it deserves. In the mural we see captured the most characteristic festivals of the city —the festival of San Antonio de Padua, the emblematic weddings, the Independence of Mexico, the festival of San Miguel Arcángel, and Day of the Dead. He also depicts many famous Mexican personalities like Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and the Pípila. Mexican culture is full of legends, but Mexicans like to look at the funny side of his life, even when it comes to their own death. For this reason, many of the characters are represented as catrinas, which also alludes to the artist José Guadalupe Posada, who created the image.
The mural uses various styles, among which pointillism, cubism, and abstract stand out. Arias also pays tribute to Siqueiros, Orozco, Diego Rivera, and Jorge González Camarena, all of them great representatives of muralism in Mexico. The color palette chosen is desaturated and was designed to relax the viewer and introduce a peaceful environment, which is why brown and yellow tones predominate. Since it is located inside a bar, the artist wanted the flavors and drinks to be the protagonists, with the mural as only a pleasant and fun background for the visitors.
For the artist, the most important thing is that his work can tell a story and transmit emotions, and that the viewer should feel attracted by what he sees. Watching the scene, the viewer can ask questions and enjoy learning what is represented. This is a didactic mural that teaches the visitor the essence of what San Miguel de Allende is, and what it represents for Mexico and the world.I invite you to visit La Sanmiguelada bar, located inside the Hacienda El Santuario hotel, on 41 Aldama Street. You can admire the magic of this mural with your own eyes, while enjoying a drink. To learn more about the artist’s work, you can visit him at his studio on Recreo 10 or contact him via email at info@joseluisarias.mx. You can also look for him on his social networks: Instagram @joseluisarias.mx and Facebook/ joseluisarias.mx.
