Thursday, April 29, 2010

Brokedown Palace

Somewhere in Mexico


















About 3 hours outside of San Miguel de Allende, there is a hacienda - right in the middle of a tiny impoverished town of tire stores and coke signs. Its a grand ominous place with a big sign blocking the entrance that reads "government property - no trespassing".

Which of course, is sort of like an invitation.

I was intrigued.


This is all I could ascertain about the place- it was built in 1890 in the desert of central Mexico. It is owned by the government, but abandoned for 80 years. No one can buy it. No one can touch it. And no one is doing anything with it.

But knowing almost nothing about it made being there sort of fantastic. It was more personal. There were no ties to any story except the one I created. Total theatre fantasy.

The wallpaper made me feel like I shouldn't be there. Like it was still someone else's space. Which made me want to explore every inch.

There were bats. And guano. And the stench that goes with it.

Murals of goddesses. And coyotes.

Much of it, I didn't understand. and didn't have time to photograph

After all, I was filming a shopping show and there were no textiles or blown glass or inlaid furniture to be found in this old hacienda. So, I had to leave before I had even begun to explore it.

Thats ok. Ill be back....

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