Guns to guitars – an introduction to the work of Pedro Reyes.

You may think creative studios are combatitive places - loaded with friction and fierce opnion - but comparatively speaking, they're rather tranquil. Which sadly, is more than can be said for Mexico.

With a rampant drug trade, corruption in high places and savagely powerful gangs with enormous levels of control, violence is inevitable. And in some districts, a daily occurrence. No-one would pretend art and design can fix such entrenched social and political difficulties, but at least Pedro Reyes is making a stand against the horror.

Reyes is a renowned Mexican designer and artist, using sculpture, architecture, video and performance to raise awareness in social, environmental or educational situations. Since 2008, he has been using weapons in his works to protest against the appalling crime rates in his country, transforming them into objects of social engagement and creativity. He is also closely involved with Palas Por Pistolas, a campaign which invites the people of the western city of Culiacán – known for gun-related deaths – to give up any illegal weapons. Participating citizens are rewarded with coupons for domestic appliances and electronics. Initially, one and a half thousand firearms were crushed and melted in a foundry to be cast into shovels, In turn, these were distributed to a range of institutions, allowing adults and children to plant 1527 trees.

However, Pedro has now initiated a new project called ‘Imagine’. This takes the form of 50 musical instruments moulded from surrendered firearms, including revolvers, shot-guns and machine guns. ‘Imagine’ was initiated by a single phone call Reyes received from the government who, having heard about Palas Por Pistolas told the artist there would be a public destruction of weapons in Ciudad Juarez. and asked if he would retain the unwanted metal which would otherwise be buried.

This gave Reyes 6700 pieces and over the course of two weeks, he worked with six musicians to build a fully functioning orchestra of instruments such as a flute, guitar and drum kit.

In our comfortable homes and offices, it’s easy to be cynical about this kind of endeavour – maybe seeing it as merely symbolic or even pretentious. But for Mexicans living with the menace of organised crime and the real risk of gunfire, Perdro’s work has a profound meaning and emotional relevance. To see material which was almost certainly used to kill, morph into something as benign as musical instruments, has the ability to inspire and reassure. It’s particularly impressive that Reyes resisted the temptation to use the metal for sculptures or installations, instead choosing to build functioning objects, actually taking a lethal purpose and overwriting it with a beautiful one.

It will take considerably more than an artist with a fascinating concept to address and rectify the brutal crime riddling Mexico, but if Pedro Reyes has offered a glimmer of hope – even if that is only through the removal of those weapons from the streets – then his efforts will have been worthwhile.

You can discover more of Perdro Reyes' work on his website.

Magnus Shaw is a copywriter, consultant and blogger

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