Talavera de Luz is a collaborative art project initiated by Leon Eckard and Dr. Miguel Ángel Pérez Cuautle. It combines traditional Talavera ceramic patterns with digital technology. In workshops with local artists, students, and community members, new tile designs were created and turned into animated projections. These designs were then displayed on historical facade of the community center CEBIS in Puebla, bringing forgotten architecture back into the spotlight and connecting tradition with modern creativity.
Talavera is a centuries-old ceramic tradition rooted in Puebla, blending Spanish, Islamic, and Indigenous techniques into a unique artistic language. Its characteristic blue-and-white tiles have decorated churches, houses, and public spaces throughout the city, becoming a symbol of Puebla’s cultural identity. The region’s architecture, often described as Poblano Baroque, integrates these ceramic elements with brickwork and ornamental motifs, creating richly layered façades. Many of these historical structures, especially in marginalized neighborhoods, have been abandoned or fallen into disrepair. Talavera de Luz aims to symbolically restore and reimagine these spaces, drawing on Talavera’s heritage to reconnect the community with its architectural past.
In a series of collaborative workshops, Talavera de Luz brought together local community members, artisans, and students to explore traditional and contemporary ceramic patterns. The goal was to connect cultural heritage with creative technology, empowering participants to reinterpret Puebla’s iconic tile motifs in new ways.
At the CEBIS community center in Xonaca, we worked with local residents and artisans to recreate traditional Talavera patterns. Participants learned about the historic meanings and techniques behind these motifs and experimented with their own interpretations on ceramic tiles. These new designs honored Puebla’s centuries-old ceramic tradition while also encouraging personal and collective expression.
In collaboration with Prof. Obed Meza Romero of the design department at Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), we invited students to rethink Talavera tiles from a contemporary perspective. They developed bold, experimental mosaic designs that combined modern aesthetics with references to local heritage. The workshop also introduced them to the basics of generative art, inspiring connections between design, craft, and code.
As a next step, participants from both workshops were introduced to creative coding with p5.js. This gave them the tools to digitize their tile patterns and see how traditional designs could evolve into dynamic, algorithm-based animations. The sessions focused on accessibility, using open-source software and low-cost hardware to make creative technology approachable for everyone.
The final exhibition took place at the CEBIS community center in Xonaca, transforming its historic patio and façade into a temporary, living canvas. The digital tile patterns created during the workshops were projection-mapped onto the building’s weathered surfaces, symbolically “renovating” the colonial architecture through art and community engagement.
The event became a meeting point for neighbors, workshop participants, and the broader public, highlighting both the cultural richness of Talavera ceramics and the power of digital tools to reimagine tradition.
The projection system was developed using open-source tools, including p5.js and Raspberry Pi devices, to keep the setup accessible and transparent. The animations drew on the workshop patterns, algorithmically encoded to evolve and interact in real time through a form of cellular logic. Each participant’s design was integrated as a living visual element, continually connecting with other contributions in ever-changing patterns. This approach illustrated how culture itself is a dynamic, collaborative process — shaped by tradition, technology, and community agency.
By projecting these collective artworks onto the reclaimed architecture of CEBIS, the project invited residents to see their neighborhood from a new perspective and reclaim a building once left to decay. At the same time, it created a shared moment of celebration and reflection on cultural heritage, resistance, and the potential of collective reworlding.
This section showcases all contributions to Talavera de Luz. Each design was created by participants in the workshops at CEBIS or BUAP, reflecting a collective exploration of Puebla’s heritage and contemporary creativity. We gratefully acknowledge the talent, dedication, and openness of everyone involved.
Talavera de Luz was supported by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), the University of the Arts Berlin (UdK), and Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP). Our sincere thanks to all partners and supporters who made this collaborative process possible.
