Cuban artist, Bastian Silvestre’s project, ‘Skin of the City,’ entails peeling back layers of dilapidated buildings and stretching them within Baroque frames he casts from found organic objects. By using a colour palette unearthed in excavation, Bastian feels he is creating in communion with those who have come before him.

Following Bastian deep into the industrial heart of northern Mexico City, our film crew documented his hunt for ‘skins’ prized for their unique colours and textures. Navigating the cacophony of groaning machinery and patrolling sirens, we adopted a guerrilla filmmaking approach, capturing the macro details of both Bastian’s hands and the city's worn facades through intimate handheld shots and magnified close-ups.

This documentary short was produced to coincide with the exhibition of Bastian’s work during Mexico City’s art week, ZONAMACO 2024. In its festival run, it was screened at On Art International Film Festival in Poland in August and FilmArte Festival in Berlin in October!