Artist: Muriel Holguín
Exhibition title: Tico
Venue: Enhorabuena Espacio, Madrid, Spain
Date: September 19 – October 5, 2024
Photography: ©Renzo Alvarado, images courtesy of the artists and Enhorabuena Espacio, Madrid
“The most economical car in the world is at Intermotor”
Brochure from Banco de Comercio, Peru 1993.
The Tico cars, from the Daewoo company, enjoyed great popularity in Peru during the 1990s and 2000s. They arrived in the country in 1992 and quickly stood out for their compact design, light weight, and small size. At a time when many Peruvian families were looking for affordable transportation options, the Tico was an attractive choice due to its low initial cost—no more than $8,000—and low maintenance.
This small but efficient vehicle was originally manufactured in South Korea, where Daewoo launched it with great success in the early 1990s. Its success in its home country spurred its export to other markets, such as Peru, where Daewoo established an assembly plant in Lima. This strategy not only strengthened the brand’s presence in Latin America but also facilitated the distribution of the Tico to other countries in the region. Before its arrival in Peru, the Tico had already experienced similar success in countries like Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, where assembly plants were also set up.
This success was no coincidence; both Eastern Europe and Latin America were undergoing significant economic, social, and political changes, moving towards market economies and consolidating democracies. Thus, the Daewoo Tico is a reflection of the neoliberal market offerings amid major global transformations and, in the case of Peru and Latin America, an emblem of the driving culture of an era.
** The fanzine “Tico” by Muriel Holguin is the first publication made by Enhorabuena.
It is an edition of 60 copies, each 20 pages, meticulously screen-printed by the Graba studio in Lima, featuring images and a text created by Muriel.
