Trazmallo Ixinti and applied puppetry in Mexico: An interview

In this artist reflection, Daniel Loyola explores the context of puppetry in relation to storytelling and communities in Mexico. He leads the reader through his company’s use of puppetry in explorations of ritual and the influences of Mexican para-theatrical traditions. He presents puppetry methods as part of a combination of artforms and practices, and discusses how his company has used these collaborative practices, an approach that emphasizes the connection to ideas from animism and pre-modern ideas about the power of objects. He also describes how the work is challenged by the context of communities dealing with violence and uncertainties in rural Mexico.