Rituals (Gothic)

When you go to a snackbar or a foodtruck your food is served in a take away conntainer. That way you can easily take it home. Ty Locke made this special work of art from containers that would otherwise have been made to trash. He collected them from streetfood stands in Mexico City, showing people how these throwaway items can in a way be beautiful as well.

Early 2025, Ty Locke went on a residency at ‘Studio Block M74’ in Mexico City. Once he had recovered from the culture shock, he was enormously inspired by the atmosphere and the people around him. He saw people doing everything with passion and vibrant energy, and that atmosphere radiates through their cities, companies, shops and churches. He made this artwork during that period.

Ty noticed that very few people in Mexico City cooked for themselves. The streets are full of street food stalls, with the most delicious, fragrant dishes.

The aluminum containers and bags that he used for this light installation all come from one street with stalls. Each stall has its own shaped container, and its own brightly colored bag.

The churches that Ty saw were also decorated in splendor, with brightly colored images, flashing lights, and full sound. This was not how he knew churches from England, and it was so fitting for him with the culture he experienced in Mexico City: he wanted to capture it in an image.

That is how this work of art came about. He collected the materials from vendors on the street, was inspired by the light of the colorful churches, and voilá: a work of art.

Ty Locke (1996, United Kingdom) lives and works in London. He is known for the humor and lightness he brings to heavy subjects. His works have already been included in many collections, including in Mexico, New York, London and Amsterdam.