In the video, a replica of a Cessna 182 5498 airplane slowly burns. The work is part of—and marks the culmination of—La isla de la fantasía, a long-term project initiated by Adela Goldbard in 2012, in which she created a series of ephemeral sculptural replicas of recently crashed government and military aircraft to be photographed in reenacted scenes of these accidents.

For the reconstructions—including the Cessna plane featured in this video—materials such as reed, cardboard, newspaper, and wheatpaste were used. The stagings took place in locations resembling the original crash sites. This life-sized replica was built using press photos of the accident and following the traditions of the Quema de Judas and Toritos.

The materials and techniques employed highlight not only the fragility of the structures and technologies represented, but also of the political system they embody. The video also invites reflection on the media’s metaphorical manipulation of reality.

Credits:

Director: Adela Goldbard
Sound Design: Rogelio Sosa
Cameras: Mario Arturo Amaro Poot, Carlos Ernesto Sanches Estrada, Edith Vázquez
Direct Sound: Armando Melo Hernández
Editing: Cuautli Morales Montejo
Color Correction: Miguel Escudero, Constanza Moctezuma
Still Photography: Omar Gámez
Reed Structure: Colectivo Artsumex
Special Effects – Pirofamily Company: Irwing Jesús Urban Urban, Gerardo Urban Sánchez, Norberto Urban Solano, Jovany Norberto Urban Urban, Edgar Adrián Romero Urban, Jesús Alberto Solano Solano, Mauricio Urban Sánchez, Salvador Hernández Solano, Sebastian De la Puente Reséndiz, Cristofer Cortes Guzmán, Mónica Reséndiz Rutia, Karen Hernández Reséndiz, Johana Hernández Reséndiz, Jocelin Hernández Reséndiz