The Shop presented seven varieties of watering can designed by Fabien Cappello and made in Mexico, where the designer lives. The publication on show accompanied Fabien’s exhibition Objetos de Resistencia at Grand Hall / Zaventem Ateliers in Belgium in summer 2021. The watering cans fit into his project Objetos de Hojalata para el Hogar (Tin objects for the home). Fabien explains:
In Mexico the word hojalata describes a trade that works in the production of functional objects and utensils either tin-plated or galvanized, rolled and embossed bland metal sheets.
Vases, buckets, watering cans and all kinds of functional containers are made, cutting and shaping the thin material with a small amount of tooling and a great deal of savoir faire.
The lightness of the manufacturing process and the great possibilities of functions the technique can cover may be two of the reasons why it is still common to find talleres de hojalata in the centre of Guadalajara, Jalisco.
In the studio, we started with mapping the different workshops specialized in hojalata as well as developing relations with the different makers to understand the economies that sustained the trade. We eventually started to work with a few workshops on the production of specific items we designed, considering the fabrication methods and processes. Objetos de Hojalata para el Hogar is a growing collection of functional objects made for the home that comes out of this investigation around a very valuable yet overlooked technique. The watering cans are one of the first outcomes of this project. They have been manufactured by Arturo and Maria Vega in their workshop in the Plaza de la Bandera neighbourhood.
Waterings cans shown with wooden spoons made by Gabriel Bouroullec.