Lodestar
Galeria Mascota, Mexico City | 5 January 2024
Lodestar is Victor Lim Seaward’s first solo exhibition in Mexico. The exhibition centres on a meticulous 1:25 scale replica of a 16th century Spanish Galleon, suspended from the ceiling with its sails filled with wind as it traverses an endless expanse.
The Galleon was a technological wonder of the age, successfully fusing multiple technological advancements in engineering, navigation, weaponry and fabrication from diverse multinational masters in their respective fields - making it akin to modern collaborative projects such as the Hubble space telescope. It also stands as a metonym for proto-Capitalism, emblematic of the economic underpinnings of the era: mercantilism, the quest for wealth, and the exploitation of resources.
The ship is accompanied by a wall-based neon constellation, its schematics based on the ancient Aztec monkey constellation Ozomahtli. The Pole Star, or Lodestar, formed the eye of this monkey - the very same star used by the conquistadors to navigate across the Atlantic. The Lodestar connects these disparate cultures through a shared celestial gaze, becoming a symbol of divergent paths and a collision of worlds.
Lodestar
2024
3D printed PETG and SLA resin, epoxy resin, acrylic enamel, raw silicon, cotton twine, calico
140 x 165 x 60 cm.
A Constellation 2024
Neon, electrical components
Dimensions Variable
80 x 130 x 7 cm
Vanitas XI2024
15th Century Hội An shipwreck porcelain gourd jar; full colour 3D printed gypsum twig, seashells, and paracetamol pill; powder coated mild steel, LED lighting system
41 x 48 x 26 cm
