There are works that are not only seen: they are felt, they are lived. Vochol is one of them. It’s not just a Volkswagen covered in beads; It is the first monumental piece of Huichol art, a symbol of identity and creativity that brings Mexican tradition to the contemporary world.
In 2010, when the country celebrated the Bicentennial of Independence and the Centennial of the Revolution, two families of Wixárika artisans—the Bautistas of Jalisco and the Ortizs of Nayarit—joined their hands and their knowledge to transform a car into a living work of art. Each of the eight artisans dedicated more than 4,000 hours to place more than two million beads, creating an object that not only impresses with its beauty, but also because of the history and culture it carries.
Vochol.
The Museum of Popular Art (MAP), an authority in the dissemination and preservation of Mexican popular art, has accompanied the life of Vochol from the beginning, ensuring that this piece reaches different corners of the country and the world: Puebla, Oaxaca, Monterrey, Guadalajara, New York, Paris, London or Beijing. Thanks to this, Vochol became a true ambassador of Mexican creativity.
Fifteen years later, the Association of Friends of MAP (MAP Friends) and MAP itself are celebrating this anniversary with a big party next Thursday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m., where you can once again admire the piece and recognize those who made this project possible. The National Lottery joins the celebration with a commemorative ticket, this time with a jackpot of 17 million pesos, reaffirming the place of Vochol in our culture.
Vochol.
In addition to the original, thousands of “vocholitos”—miniature replicas made by hand—keep its spirit alive and remember that each bead, each gesture, is a tribute to the Wixárika community and the richness of Mexican popular art. Publications such as El Vochol del Arte Popular al Arte Contemporáneo (2011) or Identidad Mexicana Vochol (2014) have documented its impact, turning it into a cultural and artistic reference.
Celebrating the 15th anniversary of Vochol is, more than a party, a reminder: popular art is not a memory of the past, but a living expression that continues to dialogue with the present and project our identity to the world.
