GDLUZ, the festival that illuminates Guadalajara

The third edition of GDLUZ will be held at the Historic Center of Guadalajara from February 13 to 16 with pyrotechnics and multiple shows, one of them in homage to the Wixárika culture. The third edition of GDLUZ is preparing to illuminate the Historical Center of Guadalajara once again as part of the celebrations of the 477th anniversary of the founding of the Pearl Tapatía.

The event that illuminates some public spaces will take place from February 13 to 16, and adds to other dynamics that the city began to perform in different neighborhoods since the beginning of this month. Ismael del Toro, mayor of Guadalajara, points out that this year GDLUZ will cost 26 million pesos, of which 10 million are granted by the mayor's office and the rest is arranged by the sponsors that are integrated into this proposal made by the company Alteacorp, under the direction and creativity of Marcos Jiménez.

From the Mercado Corona to the Cabañas Cultural Institute (ICC), attendees will be able to enjoy two kilometers of interactive installations, multimedia, performance, dance, theater, music, mapping and shows related to mariachi and folkloric culture, activities that will be distributed in five activation zones: Plaza Fundadores, Plaza de la Liberación, Plaza Tapatía, Paseo Degollado and Guadalajara Cathedral; In addition, 13 pyrotechnic shows are contemplated.

"It has become the most important event of light in Mexico, bringing together more than 550 thousand attendees per edition, is a record that had never been achieved in a festival of this nature. The festival is interactive and artistic attractions inspired by light ", explains Marcos Jiménez.

In the wixárika world

Jiménez anticipates that for the main show on the ICC esplanade, the facade of the enclosure will house two giant eagle wings made of wood, as well as offering the show "Marakame. The journey, which will pay homage to the Wixárika culture.

"It is a spectacle of the wixárika world, where the marakame (shaman) meets some children in the forest and begins to teach them how to play with fire, but with interactivity, lights, and a series of acrobats (...). There will be an art installation of an eagle embedded in the facade of the Cabañas, without touching it, it is a tradition to put an element of an animal with wood, the first time we had a horse and then it was an owl ".

The director adds that in the 2018 edition there were 550 thousand attendees during the four days of activities (in 2017 they were 520 thousand), a factor that also pays for GDLUZ to be considered the most important lighting festival in Mexico and in the process of being consolidated as a contemporary tradition in each anniversary of our city.

Awaiting Guillermo del Toro's visit

Given the possibility that the filmmaker Guillermo del Toro visit the Perla Tapatía on the occasion of the activities promoted by the International Film Festival in Guadalajara (FICG) and the exhibition that will have ("The house of monsters") in the Museum of the Arts (MUSA), Ismael del Toro pointed out the importance of adding the Oscar winner to the dynamics that the city will have in the coming weeks in different areas, although he assured that there is still nothing agreed with the director of "El laberinto del fauno".

"I would not like to move forward, but there will be an exhibition by Guillermo del Toro during six months, we will make an announcement specifically. Guillermo del Toro is a benchmark for the city, the city also wants to offer the legacy it is having for the film and culture industry; not only in this visit but throughout the year we will announce other actions that I hope to materialize in the agenda, "said the mayor.