Lodestar

Galería Mascota is pleased to present Lodestar , 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. A vitrine is the final element of the show, juxtaposing 15th century Vietnamese shipwreck porcelain with full colour 3D printed deepfakes - continuing Lim Seaward’s exploration of cross-cultural artefacts and colonial histories, nascent technologies and ancestral knowledge, scarcity, mass-production, aesthetic, artistic, intellectual and commercial values.

Works

A Constellation

Victor Lim Seaward, 2024

Lodestar

Victor Lim Seaward, 2024

Vanitas XI

Victor Lim Seaward, 2024

Composition with Stool, Spider and Flowers

Victor Lim Seaward, 2023