Hollywood director Tim Burton was in Mexico City this week to inaugurate his massive exhibition called The Labyrinth, taking time to sightsee along the way.
The Labyrinth is an immersive installation with 28 themed rooms where visitors can view over 200 of the director’s original works, including sketches, sculptures and costumes from several of his movies.
The exhibition is interactive, giving each visitor the chance to choose their own adventure, meaning no two tours are the same. This feature is meant to give visitors insight into Burton’s creative process.
While in Mexico City, Burton took a trip on a trajinera boat in the Xochimilco canals in the south of the city, accompanied by Mexican celebrities, including Juan Manuel Bernal, the film and telenovela star who won an Ariel for best actor in 2015, and the Uruguayan-Mexican actress Bárbara Mori.
Burton, director of the films Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish and Sweeney Todd, among others, also visited the Dolores Cemetery in Chapultepec Park, the resting place of many famous Mexicans, like Dolores del Rio and David Alfaro Siqueiros. There, standing before a red-lit chapel, the director spoke about how Mexican culture had influenced him as a child growing up in Burbank, California.
“I like visiting Mexico because it feels so close to my skin,” Burton said. “I mean, I was born in Los Angeles, so the Day of the Dead, Mexican art and its characters have had a huge impact on me since I was little. I truly believe that art and creativity in Mexico are inspiring. That’s why I love coming here.”
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From the cemetery’s lote de los panaderos (Bakers’ Lot), rumored to be haunted, Burton described a long-held appreciation for graveyards
“I used to find [a cemetery in Burbank, California] very peaceful and inspiring. It was the place I used to go to think,” Burton said during the masterclass. “I always found it exciting and spiritual.”
During his time in Mexico, Burton visited the traditional town of Tepoztlán in Morelos, around 80 km from Mexico City. Tepoztlán is known for its strong pre-Columbian roots, its colonial architecture and the unusual mountain formations around it.
He also attended a lucha libre wrestling match in Mexico City’s Arena Mexico on Tuesday, taking the time to pose for a photo with some of the stars of the show.
The Labyrinth will open to the public beginning July 3. The exhibition will be housed at the Lienzo Charro (rodeo) next to the Dolores Cemetery, with tickets available from 450 to 800 pesos (US $24 to $42).
With reports from UnoTV, El Economista, Donde Ir, Fightful and LOS40
How long will the exhibit be around?