Zoom In to Agua fuente de vida

Angélica Argüelles Kubli's work raises awareness of communities who lack life-giving water

By Google Arts & Culture

With content from Hidro Arte SACMEX

Agua fuente de vida (2013 - 2014) by Angélica Argüelles KubliHidro Arte - SACMEX

Angélica Argüelles Kubli is a Mexican painter and graphic designer, born in Mexico City, 1963. Kubli studied Graphic Design at the Ibero-American University, graduating in 1985. Her work is held in many Mexican museums, and in 2012 she designed a special edition lottery ticket.

Agua fuente de vida (2013 - 2014) by Angélica Argüelles KubliHidro Arte - SACMEX

In 2013, Kubli was one of the winners of a competition run by hidroArte and SACMEX, the Mexican national water company, to design murals promoting water conservation, the rescue of public spaces, and talented young artists.

Agua fuente de vida (2013 - 2014) by Angélica Argüelles KubliHidro Arte - SACMEX

The winning artists were invited to paint their murals on the walls and public spaces owned by SACMEX. Kubli's entry, entitled Agua fuente de vida or Water Source of Life, was painted on the walls of the Miramontes pumping plant in Mexico City.

Agua fuente de vida (2013 - 2014) by Angélica Argüelles KubliHidro Arte - SACMEX

The mural shows all sorts of people carrying, collecting, and drinking life-giving water.

The gentle blue-green colour palette evokes the clarity and thirst-quenching qualities of fresh water. While a wave-like pattern suffuses the scene, showing how intimately dependent we all are on this precious resource.

Kubli has said that the mural acts as a reminder for those who are privileged enough to have tapwater that, "Sometimes one forgets that there are communities that still do not have potable water".

The organisers of the competition hope that inspiring artworks like this would reach out to young people.

This idea of using street art made with the cooperation of authorities is a recent development. While street art has existed for centuries, it was often seen as a nuisance. Projects like this demonstrate the changing opinions and tastes of both art patrons and the public.

Thanks for joining this tour of Angélica Argüelles Kubli's Agua fuente de vida. Scroll down to watch a video by hidroARTE about the 2013 competition.

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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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