Mural with Historical Apocalyptic Visions and Current Discussions

In the context of cooperation between the Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies (CAPAS) and the Metropolink Festival, a new mural – designed by Mexican street artist Saner – was painted on the gymnasium wall of the Heidelberg Julius Springer School. The idea for this action came from the research project of the art historian and anthropologist Prof. Dr Adolfo Mantilla Osornio, a fellow in the 2021/2022 academic year at the Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies.

During his time at CAPAS, he studied apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic representations in the art of Mexico, from the 16th century to the present. Prof. Mantilla Osornio, who has been the academic director of the Mexico Academy of Art since 2017, also curated the exhibition of individual motifs from the mural, providing them with the relevant historical and scholarly background notes. The exhibition was held on the festival grounds in Patrick Henry Village.

The mural “Post-apocalyptic Visions of the 12th book” is based on a narrative about the destruction of societies, drawn from a mid-16th century text handed down in the indigenous Nahuatl language. It describes eight omens for the end of the world heralding upheavals in the lives of individuals and the community. Originally shaped by the indigenous perspective, the omens referred to in the painting are, however, the product of a transcultural vision that also resonates with apocalyptic ideas in Europe. Furthermore, the illustrator, graphic designer and street artist Saner, whose real name is Edgar Flores, weaves motifs of current social and political discussion into his mural in order to enable a contemporary access to the worldviews, myths and narratives of the historical text.

The Metropolink Urban Art Festival aims to create new perspectives on the city and beyond. Artistic interventions in the public space open up opportunities to regain these places for the community, as has happened since 2018 with Patrick Henry Village (PHV), a former residential area of the United States army in Heidelberg. Art and urbanity form the thematic core of Metropolink, that – with close cooperation on topics of culture and modern urban development – is playing a central role in the development of PHV as a new, 16th district of Heidelberg. The Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies participated in the 2022 festival programme with many other events, which enabled a varied exchange between the arts, science and the public. Besides the mural, the activities included, for example, an open-air film series, panel discussions with the CAPAS fellows, an interactive art installation and a children’s book reading.