“A plan of the Panama Canal?” That’s what customs officials suspected about a Picasso cubist still life coming into Mexico City. It was part of an 83-picture retrospective. Today, we delve into the story of Picasso in Mexico City.
The Mexico City Picasso show was a major event. It was organized by the Sociedad de Arte Moderno. The society rented a gallery on the Paseo de la Reforma. All kinds of Picassos were hung there.
There was the posterish Harlequin. There was the Seated Woman. This showed Picasso’s attempt to capture a figure from several angles.
A plan to show a large reproduction of Picasso’s famed Guernica mural was dropped. It graphically protested Franco’s atrocities. This mural was considered too politically charged for the venue.
Most Mexican laymen were attracted to Picasso’s great skill. They liked La Toilette. It was a serene classic figure piece painted in 1905.
Picasso’s endless experimentalism received mixed reactions. Some Mexican professionals were not cordial about the show. Diego Rivera stayed away from the opening. He had an anti-Picasso blast ready for the first reporter. He said the Society’s role was to preserve European cultural domination. He believed dealers were behind the show. He thought it was proved by the fact that the society began with a non-American artist of overwhelming prestige.
No one outside France knew where Picasso was. But Picasso probably cared little about what was said about him in Mexico City. He scorned the art markets that made him rich. He once said museums are just a lot of lies. He felt the people who make art their business are mostly impostors. The Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan quoted that remark. They were the chief overseer of the Mexico City Picasso show.
Beyond Picasso’s own exhibition, his influence extended to Mexican artists. Byron Galvez was called the “Mexican Picasso”. Galvez encountered Picasso and Cubism at the National School of the Arts in Mexico City. He broadened his art to include “Picassoy” sculpture. Galvez never bothered to graduate with a degree.
Galvez designed the central mosaic for the David Ben Gurion Cultural Park in Pachuca. The park includes museums, a convention center and a shopping mall. Even Picasso has nothing like that associated with his name.
Interestingly, you can see works by Pablo Picasso at Casa Luis Barragán. This modern masterpiece mixes Mexican traditions with modernist principles.
Mexico City has experienced a meteoric rise in the art world. Many artists have moved there. They find big studios at a good price. Mexico City is a super vibrant city for art.
Thirty years ago galleries exhibiting new art were much harder to come by. Key spaces included Galería de Arte Mexicano. It showed mostly Mexican modernist art.
Picasso’s impact on Mexico City’s art scene is undeniable. From major exhibitions to inspiring local artists, his legacy lives on. His art challenged perceptions and sparked debate. Picasso remains a towering figure in art history, even here in Mexico City.