Title: From sugar skulls to giant sugar cubes

IIn the second of three artist’s talk about Azúcar/Sugar, the latest installation from With Lime, hear about Dr William Franco’s journey from travelling in Mexico to learn how to make Mexican sugar skulls for Dia de Muertos to exploring the connection between sugar and colonisation of the Americas to expanding the boundaries of this traditional method of sugar art.

 Dr William Franco

William Franco has a B.A. in Fim and Video from California Institute for the Arts, M.F.A. in Installation - Digital Media from Massey University, and a PhD and Graduate Diploma in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Victoria University of Wellington. Since 2007 when he was a Fulbright Fellow, he has lived in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.

 A Chicano (Zapotec and Mixtec), he is a border crosser, choosing the best form and media to embody his performative ideas. His multi-disciplinary approach grows out his collaboration with the original members of The Border Art Workshop/Taller de Arte Fronterizo.

 His installations reflect his technical expertise in lighting, audio and video honed through his extensive production experience in film, video, sound and theatrical/dance performances in site-specific, studio and museum settings. He is best known for “The Illustrated Chicano,” his interactive installation on being a Chicano in diaspora, and mounting the HAKO Virtual Projection Mapping Festival during the COVID pandemic.