What is there to celebrate?

It is probably the worst historical moment for Mexico.

Painting of Tomás Gómez Robledo, 2010
The art exhibition Sentón y Bicentón, Ni Revolución Ni Independencia pays attention to this very sad moment in Mexico's history.
With work of: Oscar Bächtold / Maribel Avilés / Oscar Ojeda / Vicky González / Tomás Gómez Robledo / Alejandra Barrera / Alicia Amador / Rebeca Martínez / José Barbosa / Anne Pivron / Norma Ascencio / Marisa Polin / Jerónimo Vázquez/ Anibal Delgado/ Isabel Ramos Flota / Rosario Ochoa / Lorena Mata / Mónica Polin
The opening is Thursday 9 September at 8 pm at
Peces Centro Histórico, Regina 49, Centro, México DF

Painting of Phil Kelly, 2009
Exactly 200 years ago New Spain separatists-insurgents' got its independence from Spain forming the new country of Mexico. 100 years later a civil war started where millions of Mexicans died. After this revolution Mexico started a new era without Porfirio Diaz, with a new constitution and with a new political party (later to become the infamous PRI).
So the Mexican government thought a few years ago, let's celebrate and conmemorate this dates in a big big way! Let's bring down the house (Echar la casa por la ventana)!
For decades, the poorer citizens had not had access to the basic rights like education and health. All these are allowing a bigger, if not the deepest, income disparity that in consequence created a social and economical bomb that exploded in a drug and crime society in large parts of the country.
The present president, Felipe Calderon, thought at the beginning of his mandate to cut this problem from the bottom. The government started a military offensive on the drug cartels becoming a War on Drugs.
After 3 and a half years and nearly 30 000 executed! people, the country is far behind than when this started. The future has never seemed more somber than now. And exactly now is that the beautiful round numbers of 200 and 100 are to be celebrated.
Maybe it is not by chance that Mexico is celebrating two of the most cruel periods in the history of Mexico within 'the frame' of the new third bloody and amoral of all: The Narco War.
There is a lot of indignation on this extremely badly timed (and expensive) festivities.

Painting of Marisa Polin, La Revolucion de la Narco Independencia, 2010
Some reading: Victor Beltri, PBS, AguaFiestas.

Liesje Reyskens

Liesje Reyskens. Ververs Gallery. The Netherlands.

James Roper

James Roper. UK

The art season (Shooting at each other 4)

This must be the sign that the art season starts in The Netherlands:
Roos van Put from Kunstbeeld photographs Jeroen Bosch from Trendbeheer and the other way round at the Opening of the "New" Stedelijk Museum.
To see all the photos they have taken of each other: here.


I read lots of complaints on the exhibition or the new director, may be it is just a matter of a new pr person and talking more often to the press to recover the image of a museum that has been closed for 7 years.
To see how the art is being shown just click at any of these links, enough photos to get a rather good impression:
Kunstbeeld, Whatspace, more Whatspace, LostPainters, KeesKoomen, n8 and jackokijktkunst.

Learning about color

Here is a taste of the serie photographs that I took recently in Mexico: Tlacotalpantone (small borders), where I learned one or two things about color combination.

MarisaPolin©2010

Would there be art without the art market?

What am I reading?

Would there be art without the art market? There would certainly be art, but it would look very different. The choice and taste of the collectors shape more than ever the form of the art world. I try not to get depressed by this reality as I read:
"The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art" by Don Thompson.
Also.
And.

More Bubble Gum

I took recently this photo of one of the various 'Bubble gum trees' in Coyoacan, Mexico City.
This could not have happened in Singapore were bringing bubble gum into the country is forbidden.
To see more bubble gum culture and art: Trendbeheer

Wilfredo Prieto

Wilfredo Prieto. Nogueras Blanchard. Cuba.

Olmec Heads on a rainy day

On my only visit to San Andres Tuxtla (known as part of Los Tuxtlas) in Veracruz, Mexico there was so much rain that there was little to see of the typical relaxed atmosphere I was told it had.

Luckily the largest Olmec head ever found is there in the middle of the main square to be seen by everyone. So obvious that when I asked on the adjacent streets where was the Olmec head, they didn't know the answer right away.
This huge head, the only one with eyes opened, is not the most beautiful one but it amazes to think how did the Olmecs a couple of thousand years ago were able to sculpt it and transport it .

The Museo Regional Tuxteco on one of the sides of the square is a very small one, showing very few prehispanic objects, but they have also one of the only 17 found stone Olmec heads.

The heads are drawn on the same scale. Right under is the one at the square.

The original Shell logo by Olmec.

Even though it has been glued from many parts it is a very impressive big pot even for now days.

At this warm and rainy place glass windows are not necessary and you save on air conditioning. This is probably the reason why they can't have more objects at the museum.

The street vendors just outside the museum.

The river cutting the town.

Anything can become a ruin within short time at this ultra wet weather.

David Kassan

David Kassan. USA.

Blanka Amezcua

Blanka Amezcua. Museo de Mujeres. Mexico-USA.

Enrique Balleza Dávila

Enrique Balleza Dávila. Mexico.

Good memories

The note at Artes e Historia Mexico on the Nothing to Hide Exhibition:

I took this photograph specially for the exhibition.

Panamericana

Chocolate coins

, exhibition at Kurimanzutto, Mexico City

Curator, Jens Hoffmann
Until September 16th, 2010
Artists:
Adrián Esparza, Adrián Villar Rojas, Adriana Lara, Alessandro Balteo Yazbeck, Alexandre da Cunha, Beatriz Santiago Muñoz, Carla Zaccagnini, Cinthya Soto, Diego Pérez, Eduardo Basualdo, Federico Herrero, Gabriel Sierra, Juan Araujo, Juan Capistrán, Luis Carlos Hurtado, Marcelo Cidade, Mariana Castillo Deball, Mateo López, Nicolás Paris Vélez, Nuria Montiel, Wilfredo Prieto y Yoan Capote.

The best work of the exhibition even though Mateo Lopez (?) is not the first or the last to notice the bulky objects used in Mexico to keep a parking space free. He stole them all personally.

Artist German Venegas next to Mateo Lopez.

It was my first time to the gallery so I wasn't sure this was part of the Panamericana exhibition.

Kuri with guests possing for my click.

Adrian Esparza deconstrucs a sarape.

A Tom Classen or a mould for the Antropological Museum? by Mariana Castillo Deball

The new old Mexican heroes. Retro is everywhere by Adriana Lara.

Carla Zacaggnini. Just let the time pass and buildings take their own shape. Photoshop is not needed.

Cuba libre (on the floor) by Wilfredo Prieto.

An attractive flag window by Yoan Capote.

Choose your drink, a Pascual Boing (fruit juice) or a Montejo beer?

Kurimanzutto Gallery is a former timber yard built in 1949.

Charles Glaubitz

Charles Glaubitz. Mexico.

Betsabé Romero.

Betsabé Romero. Mexico.

Soulages's black.

I don't know if it the museum of Mexico City spent a lot of money on advertisement together with the renovation of the museum itself (which is by the way one of the oldest houses in the city), or is one of the best exhibitions in Mexico City now but it seems that everybody knows about the exhibition of the French, all black paintings', artist Pierre Soulages at the Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico.

When I was there there was a lot of public and it seemed they were enjoying it fully in some kind of religiously way. The work was curated perfectly, fitting the very old and large white walls of the building originally known as Palacio de los Condes de Santiago de Calimaya.

I can not show you how well it was hanging as it was strictly prohibited to take pictures. Am I going to steel his black?

The second patio.

The main patio during a concert.
There were other exhibitions like Drawn, with 'street' drawing.


and the museum's collection with nostalgic images of the city with its old channels and no high buildings: