Catching the Love Bug

Last week, I picked up my daughter from Denver International Airport. While I waited for her in the tented and skylighted terminal, I noticed a brightly colored 1990 Volkswagen Beetle. At first, I thought it had been artistically painted, but the gathering crowd took countless photos, so I took a closer look. I couldn’t believe what I saw!

Over 2,247,000 glass beads woven with colored yarn covered the entire vehicle including the dashboard and steering wheel. The Vochol was created by two families from the Huichol tribe of Western Mexico. It took 7 months and almost 10 thousand hours to complete. They are known for their traditional and sometimes intricate yarn paintings, but the use of beads is a new inclusion in this art form. Religious and cultural icons such as the deer, sun, corn and peyote can be found on this unusual “canvas.” They created this piece to share their beliefs and culture with the world.

The Vochol is a mash-up of the slang word for Volkswagen –Vocho and the Huichol.

Herbie would fall in love at first sight!

I imagined the looks Courtney and I would get if we rolled out of DIA in this slug-bug!

The Vochol will be auctioned off and proceeds will benefit artisans of Mexico.

I think the new owner will avoid mud puddles and buggy areas.

After the horrific events that took place in Aurora, Colorado last Friday, I looked over the photos I had taken the day before and thought, “The Vochol is a symbol of hope.” People from all over the world fly through Denver each day and enjoy The Vochol just as the world is coming together in prayer and mourning. This work of art shows the resiliency of a Mexican indigenous group which has survived and so will we.

The Vochol will be on display at DIA until August 31^st, 2012.

Related articles:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huichol_people

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_20676617/hand-beaded-vw-beetle-rolls-into-denver-airport

http://vocholdenver.com/

Do you enjoy traveling? Have you gone to any fun places this summer?