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A photographic dialogue on Mexico–Malaysia parallels

The Star

5 days ago

The Star

A photographic dialogue on Mexico–Malaysia parallels

In the recent Mexico: Present Glazes, Past Spaces photography exhibition in Kuala Lumppur, organised by the Embassy of Mexico in Malaysia, guests were invited to explore Mexico's pre-Hispanic architecture through the lens of Juan Albert Estevan. An architect by profession but a photographer as a passion, Estevan, 64, provided a contemporary perspective into Mexico's rich architectural heritage, highlighting the clash of cultural values between those who came to the land for conquest and the civilisations and cultures that had already existed there for many generations. While these new colonial spaces have their roots in the European Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, they were transformed by the materials, light, and colours of the New World's geography. The result is awe-inspiring architecture marked by strong spatial syncretism, with interior spaces expressed through plazas, patios, and chapels that open into expansive atriums. 'As long as we continue talking to each other and working together, we will find new connections and bring about new ideas,' says Estevan. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong Estevan's photographs, taken during his travels across Mexico, shine a spotlight on ancient Mesoamerican sites, such as the Zapotec metropolis of Monte Alban in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, the Maya ruins of Uxmal in the Yucatan Peninsula and Teotihuacan, once one of the largest and most populated centres in the pre-Columbian Americas and is now known for its pyramids and its well-preserved murals. True essence of Mexico At the exhibition's recent inauguration, Ambassador of Mexico to Malaysia, Luis Javier Campuzano Pina, said that the Mexican embassy (which hosted the show) wanted to showcase Mexican culture and offer Malaysians a glimpse of the true essence of Mexico. 'Sometimes people think that with the conquest by the Spaniards that our culture was erased. But here in this exhibition, through Juan Albert's photographs, you can see that that's not the case – our buildings and our populations are still living and they speak different languages," said Pina. 'I also think that when it comes to learning about other countries, it's very important for people to go beyond the main headlines and stories that come in the news. Mexico has so many commonalities with Malaysia in terms of culture and gastronomy. So I'm glad we could share this exhibition with Malaysians,' he added. The iconic stairs at Batu Caves (left) and textiles found at Oaxaca. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong Pina also shared that he and Estevan were childhood friends who once spent five months traveling together across Europe in their youth. 'Even back then, you could see his capacity to observe the salient aspects of the beauty in the architecture of the places we travelled to. 'I was able to better understand the value of the architecture of the historical places we visited thanks to his knowledge, so now I'm delighted that we have the great pleasure of seeing his perspective through his photos,' he said. A fusion of cultures Another part of the exhibition, aptly named Fusions: Mexico-Malaysia, celebrates various facets that both countries have in common by seamlessly fusing snapshots of Mexico and Malaysia into one image. In the 'Fusions: Mexico-Malaysia' section, Estevan blended scenes from both countries, like this image combining Batu Caves and a Mexican cenote. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong From natural features such as Malaysia's Batu Caves and Mexico's cenotes (limestone sinkholes) to the vibrant streets of Melaka and Oaxaca, Estevan said he wanted to emphasise the similarities between the two countries. 'In my last trip to Malaysia three years ago, I fell in love with the country – its people, its landscapes, its food, everything. I also noticed that culturally, we have a lot of things in common, for example the use of public spaces and how you can see people eating and enjoying life. There's also a love for bright, bold colours. 'So in this exhibition, I wanted to put them together to show that we are like brothers in many ways. As long as we continue talking to each other and working together, we will find new connections and bring about new ideas,' concluded the photographer.

Farmers and meteorologists say record rainfall in southeast Sask. could help growing season

CBC

19-05-2025

Climate
CBC

Farmers and meteorologists say record rainfall in southeast Sask. could help growing season

Farmers and weather observers in southeast Saskatchewan say last week's record-breaking rain could be a boon for this year's growing season. On May 15 and 16 a storm brought significant rainfall to the southeastern corner of the province, with some communities receiving over 100 millimetres of rain in 48 hours. "What we saw was a developing low pressure system that crossed through Montana and stalled out essentially right over the central portions of North Dakota," said Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Eric Dykes. "It moved all the moisture up from the southeast up through the United States's midwestern states, pushed it up into Manitoba, and retrograded back towards southeastern portions of Saskatchewan where it basically just kind of sat there over several days." According to the government of Canada weather service, Estevan received over 70 millimetres of rain, while Maryfield and Esterhazy, two communities close to the southeastern border with Manitoba, saw 59 millimetres and 47 millimetres. The service also reported that volunteer weather observers had reported close to 100 millimetres of rain in Kenosee Lake, and 108 millimetres in Radville, a community 100 kilometres northwest of Estevan. Moisture will help famers Trevor Hadwen, an agro-climate specialist from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said that the added moisture from the rain will benefit farmers, especially those who have already seeded their crops. "We've seen drops in our soil moisture right across the province, leading to a little bit more concern than we did at the end of last month," he said on May 14. "But certainly still in the area of much more positive outlook than we've seen in the last number of years for the province." As of April 30, while not in official drought conditions, several areas along the southern edge of the province were classified as abnormally dry. The following two weeks saw very little rain, adding to the lack of moisture but also allowing some farmers to seed their crops before the rain began. "Areas that have been seeded already will benefit greatly from the precipitation that we've seen," said Hadwen. "Precipitation also slows down that seeding a little bit. So producers that still haven't got it out in the fields and had limited seeding done, mostly in the south or on the northeastern corner of the province, they're the furthest behind." "Areas down that southwest corner that are most advanced and seeding really want this moisture right now." Jason Leblanc, who grows mainly grains and oil seeds outside of Estevan and who got his seeding done early, said the rain couldn't have come at a better time. He said his farm received around 90 millimetres over the course of Thursday and Friday. "It was a perfect rain," he said. "We don't want any more of it. We of course want that again in about three weeks, but we can handle that kind of rain." " For the last four years we've been seeding a little bit earlier with the El Niño effect. And then this year, the prediction was we would seed a bit earlier and get some moisture. And that's exactly what happened." Saskatchewan's main growing season begins in late May and runs around 100 days until mid-September. "The last two years have been pretty dry for us. Even if we got the moisture, we were getting such long spells of sun or heat, it was just too hot. It would burn the flowers off," he said.