TV

CECUT celebrates 40 years with 40 activities in 2022: Baja Window to the South

An important Tijuana native artist was also a guest

By Sonia Zavala2022-04-02T01:00:00+00:00

Baja Window to the South exists so that American tourists find out all about Baja California’s many wonders from its culture to its gastronomy, from its entertainment to its sports, and much, much more. In the 6th episode of the show, the first guest was Dr. Vianka Santana, General Director of the Cultural Center of Tijuana (CECUT) which, in 2022, is 40 years old. Due to this, this anniversary will be celebrated with 40 different activities.

CECUT was founded in 1982. Its founding was a landmark moment for the entertainment and culture of Tijuana since, before, there were very few places where artists’ works could be shared. Currently, CECUT is a very wide area where different artistic, cultural, and more showings take place.

For example, El Cubo (The Cube) is a building here that is currently holding an art exhibit of 145 artists from more than 14 different countries. CECUT also has an IMAX dome, the Californias Museum, a botanic garden, an aquarium, and much more where people of all ages can spend a nice afternoon. And what better place to represent the cultural and international richness in the state created through immigration.

Tijuana and San Diego have been named World Design Capitals for 2024. Santana added that this came to be not only because of the Home project (a project between both cities), but because of the cultural, musical, and gastronomic wealth that exists here. Another activity that CECUT is promoting is the “Soy Artista y el CECUT es Mi Casa” (I’m An Artist and CECUT Is My Home) campaign, where one can share the experiences they’ve had at this wonderful Cultural Center.

In the Tacos With Muchachos segment, Scott Koenig along with Francisco Pérez, owner of “Aquí es Texcoco” went to "Carnitas Mr. Buches Shop" which has been located in Colonia 20 de Noviembre in Tijuana for 14 years ago. Here they tried the classic, but delicious tacos this place has to offer: tacos with several cuts of pork that fascinated both hosts. Scott and Francisco shared how wonderful it is to find tacos from all over Mexico in just one state: Baja California, because it has so much gastronomic diversity.

The second guest was Enrique Chiu, Guadalajara artist, but Tijuana native through “adoption”. He is the creator of the “Brotherhood Mural”, an artistic work created in the Tijuana-San Diego border wall which has as a goal to convey positive messages to those who cross the border, to those who are abandoned halfway in their search for “American Dream”, and to those families that have been separated due to immigration issues. This mural reunited several kinds of people and even artists from all over the world.

This project has managed since 2015 to paint several different areas in the miles-long border wall between the US and Mexico. Each of its murals are created and have messages according to the time in which they were made. For example, last year the inspiration had a lot to do with the doctors and medical staff who were at the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic. Each of the different works done here has a different story to share.

Enrique has been painting professionally for 22 years and has been making murals for 18 years. In all this time, he has created 500 murals not only in Mexico but in other parts of the world such as Paris, the US, Guatemala, Berlin, among others. Chiu is also very close to getting a Guinness Record for longest mural in the world; this occurred after a part of the mural was removed, due to the migrant caravan, which is now being restored so as to obtain this record officially.

2022 will be a very busy year for Enrique who will travel to different parts of the world to present exhibitions and murals. The art world is another thing that distinguishes Baja California throughout all of Mexico and it is thanks to works like Enrique’s that Baja California has become much more famous and more visited.