Thursday, October 27, 2011

Mexico City Museum Visits

I spent Tuesday visiting more museum exhibitions in Mexico City – something which I could do for days on end and still be amazed by the diversity and quality of the work on display. I started my day at Antiguo Colegio de San Ildeonso in Centro Histórico where there is an exhibition Sol y Sombras, de la Fotografía Moderna Mexicana. The exhibition consists of some 75 B&W prints by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Agustin Jiménez and Luis Márquez from the 1920s and 1930s. Many of the prints are grouped by subject matter with all three photographers represented next to one another, providing a convenient setting to compare and contrast. The exhibition contains two of my favorite Álvarez Bravo images – El ensueño (1931) and La buena fana duriendo (1939).
Visitors at the Sol y Sombras exhibition
   
A second set of salas examines modern Mexico City in an exhibition entitled DF Penúltima Región.  The show displays over 60 contemporary photographs and videos by Gerardo Suter who documented the urban landscapes with large digital prints, including an interest diptych printed on copper plate.  Both of these show run through January 15, 2012.
   
The museum also contains a wonderful exhibition by the Australian sculptor Ron Mueck, who creates amazing hyper realistic sculptures of people out of fiberglass and silicon. Mueck’s choice of scale – both much larger and much smaller than real life – adds to the impact of the work. There is also an interesting video showing the arduous process Mueck uses to craft his work.  The Mueck show runs through February 5, 2012.
   
I then headed off to San Ángel to where there was an exhibition of nearly 30 photographs by Lola Álvarez Bravo as well a handful by Manuel Álvarez Bravo. The show runs through February 17, 2012. The exhibition was held in the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Khalo, a pair of buildings connected by a sky bridge. While at the museum, be sure to visit Diego Rivera’s studio and watch the video detailing the life of Frida Khalo.

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