The Palacio National

A trip to Mexico City wouldn't have been complete without a stop at the Palacio National to see perhaps Rivera's best murals. I say best, and not necessarily my favorite, because of the complicated nature and size of this project. This set of murals was begun in 1929. The staircase mural is a real masterpiece showing Mexico Through the Centuries.

Inside Courtyard at the Palacio National

The size, the angles, and the crowds make the staircase particularly difficult to photograph. Nonetheless, the amount of detail in the mural shows why it took Rivera six years to complete it. Rivera returned to the National Palace to complete the project between 1945 and 1951. In the set of murals at the top of the staircase on the first floor, he has a detailed presentation of the pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico. The vision of ancient Tenochtitlan (modern day downtown Mexico City), gives the viewer a sense of how expansive and advanced this civilization was.

Detail from the Staircase Mural

Detail from Images of Ancient Tenochititlan

Tattoos & Piercings! So, what's so different today?

CHECK IT OUT:

Just when you think that there couldn't be any new archeological discoveries, something new pops up. Check out this article on previously unknown cave paintings in northern Mexico.

http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2013/05/5000-cave-paintings-found-in-northern.html

 

Posted with Blogsy

UNAM 2

Facultad de Medicina

Taking the short metro ride across town to the University of Mexico campus is well worth the effort. Although the campus grounds are extensive, there are some particularly worthwhile sites to see. As I posted earlier, the 3-D Siqueiros mural is well worth the trip in and of itself. Even more, just across the street from the university is the Estadio Olímpico with the famous Diego Rivera mosaic on the structure's entrance. But, there's more!

Eppens Mural

Shortly after getting off the metro at the Coplico station on the northeast side of the campus. Just follow the student crowd to campus and you'll end up at the Facultad de Medicina. You're greeted by a mosaic by Francisco Eppens on the side of the medical school building. This interesting mural presents the themes of life and death which medical students will surely face. The center mask, as you can see above, has both the Spanish profile on the left as well as the indigenous one on the right making a mestizo face in the middle. An ear of maze and other Mayan and Aztec symbols represent the forces of life and death.

 

CHECK THIS OUT:

A lot of variety exists when it comes to eating street food in Mexico City.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/feb/08/best-places-eat-street-food-mexico-city

 

Posted with Blogsy

Palacio de Bellas Artes

The Palacio de Bellas Artes

Built around 1905, the Fine Arts Museum is one of the showcase buildings in Mexico City. Located next to Alameda Central park, it houses some of the finest art found in the city. In addition, the Ballet Folclórico de México regularly performs here on Wednesdays and Sundays. From the Palacio, it's just a short walk down Madero Street to the Zocalo.

A Touch Of Modern Art In Front Of The Palacio

On Sundays after 10 am, one can visit the museum for free. Between the park, numerous museums, and its proximity to the Catedral Metropolitana and other city center sites, one can easily wile way the better part of a weekend.

Choc Mool Meets Art Decco

Inside the museum, one is treated to the mural masterpieces of Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros Above all of them, Rivera's Man at the Crossroads stands out. This piece was recreated after the original one commissioned for the Rockefeller Center was thoughtless destroyed due to anticapitalist themes.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Mercado Abelardo Rodriquez

A pleasant little market for both shopping, lunch and great art is the Mercado Abelardo Rodriguez. From the Plaza de Santo Domingo, just take a right down Rep. de Venezuela street. In just three blocks or so, you'll come upon the market. As with most markets in the city and throughout Mexico, numerous small eateries offer some of the tastiest and least expensive food in town

Mural Inside the Mercado Depicting Class Struggles

However, what makes this market stand out are the murals found at the entrances and on the second floor. Depicting scenes of class struggle and inequities, muralists from the 1920s, under the tutelage of Diego Rivera, practiced their trade and left a lasting and historically important picture of Mexican life. Unlike at the Palacio Nacional, you'll have these murals all to yourself as the locals go about their daily activities. Don't forget to try a chili rellano if you are there around lunchtime.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Orozco and Cortés

I've mentioned my visits to the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso before, but always in the context of seeing Rivera's first great Mexico City mural La Creación. However, there are many other very good reasons for a visit to more than just the amphitheater here. Other contemporaries of Rivera also contributed murals to the walls of this former 16th century Jesuit college. In particular, José Clemente Orozco's portrait of the famous conquistador Cortés and his mistress, La Malinche, can be found underneath one of the staircases on the main patio. Works by muralist David Siqueiros also adorn the many walls of this structure. Further, regular temporary exhibitions are hosted here as well as bi-monthly recitals in the amphitheater.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Street Art (Part 3)

I'll call this wall mural that I found while walking around the Santa Maria de Ribera neighborhood "The Maestro & His Deamons." The late afternoon sun made the mural seem to dance as if its images were trying to escape the two dimensional surface on which they had been painted. Just next to the mural, street vendors were readying themselves for a busy Friday evening selling everything from children's clothing to bootleg DVDs to popular snacks.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Eiffel's Influence in Mexico

By bus, the city of Cuernavaca is only about two hours away from DF. Although I had gone there to see the Rivera murals in the Palacio de Cortes (more on the murals later), I was treated as well to the sight of a gazebo designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, the tower guy) in the middle of Jardin Juárez.

Unlike most Mexican architecture, this fin de siècle French structure at first strikes one as being geographically out of place, but amazingly at home here in downtown Cuernavaca. Located in the middle of the plaza, shops on the lower level sell fruit and sandwiches. Strolling vendors sell balloons and ice cream. Plenty of benches offer the weary traveler a relaxing spot to take a break. Several nights a week, one can come here for a concert in the park. Ah, Mexico and thank you Señor Eiffel!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Mixing The New With The Old

From a number of perspectives, a visit to the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso is always worthwhile. As it is located just two blocks east of the Zocalo, it's a convenient stop on any itinerary of the historical district. First, in the Simon Bolivar Amphitheater, you can see Diego Rivera's first DF mural "La Creación." Taking in a Sunday afternoon concert in this theater is a real treat. Second, the Colegio also is the home of many other murals by contemporaries of Rivera such as Orozco and Siqueiros. Finally, as you can see in his photo, regular temporary exhibitions find a showing here. Inside one of the courtyards, a modern sculpture installation challenges the classic lines of this 300 year old colonial structure. No admission charge on Tuesdays.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Street Art (Part 2)

The side of a building in the neighborhood of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe offered the perfect surface to advertise a local museum incorporating a little Day of the Dead imagery.

Thomas the Train? I Don't Think So.

Closer to my hotel, this eery image appears amid eateries, coffee shops, and tiendas (small grocery stores) on a busy pedestrian walkway.

Mexico City is no different than other major metropolitan areas. The excitement of street art just might show up around any corner in the city.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Plaza Santo Domingo

Plaza Santo Domingo

 

Just two blocks north of the cathedral and the Zocalo is one of my favorite squares in Mexico City - Plaza Santo Domingo. In addition to simply being a picturesque spot for sitting and watching people, this square is the spot to go to if you need anything printed from First Communion and wedding invitations to business cards. Further, the square is surrounded by historical buildings from the 16th century Iglesia de Santo Domingo, the Secretaría de Educación Pública (loaded with great Diego Rivera murals), and the Palacio de la Inquisición which served as the headquarters for the Holy Inquisition in Mexico in the 1700s.

Historical Drawing of the Plaza

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

The "Full Siqueiros"

 

In my blog on my visit to the University of Mexico, I shared with you a segment of the Siqueiros mural. It's so impressive that I thought I give you the "Full Monte" this week. Students playing soccer in its shadow probably have little idea as to its stature in the world of art. Siqueiros is one of the greatest of the Mexican muralists along with Rivera and Orozco. This mural Ascent of Culture was constructed in the early to mid-1950s. As was true for the other muralists as well, Siqueiros' work represents issues of concern to the common people.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Street Art (Part 1)

Although there is a great history and tradition of muralist art in Mexico, there is also a contemporary interest and expression in this mode of artistic expression. Throughout the city, strolling down a street in almost any neighborhood, one can come upon wonderful murals created on the side of a building or an empty wall.

Mural in the Neighborhood of Santa Maria de Ribare

As one never knows what to expect, every excursion onto the streets of DF can be an adventure into the world of Mexican art that is found well beyond the museums and art galleries.

Being Playful on the Playground

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

UNAM - The University of Mexico

Today' travels took me to the southern part of the city to visit the University of Mexico. Wow, what a huge campus with thousands of students moving about (I imagine there were just as many in classes). I strolled around the campus for close to two hours (most of the time lost). But, it was worth i!

Mural on the Faculty of Medicine

I was very impressed with the amount of green space available for students to hang out, play soccer, or even study. Over 325,000 students call UNAM home. The key building, muraled on all four side is the university's Rectory. Set among walk ways and grassy areas, this building commands everyone to notice it.

The Rectory

As if this wasn't enough, the muralist Siqueiros, created a politically inspired three-dimensional mural in its shadow.

Section of the Siqueiros Mural

However, the main reason for today's travels was to hopefully get a glimpse of the Rivera mosaic mural on the Olympic Stadium. Although I couldn't get inside the stadium complex, the mural is so prominent on the entrance to the stadium that I was more than pleased to see it from my only available perspective (from outside the front gates).

The 1968 Olympic Stadium

For any fan of Rivera's work, this is a real gem. It's not central in any tour of Mexico City, but if you don't mind a long metro ride and some solid walking, the journey is well worth the effort. I now have yet another favorite Rivera mural in the city. It was also of interest to see where Tommy Smith and John Carlos protested for Black Power after winning olympic medals in track and field.

 

Closeup of Rivera's Olympic Stadium Mural

 

Posted with Blogsy

The Hidden Murals of Mexico City

The Mercado Abelardo Rodríguez is not only a great spot for lunch, but to also houses some wonderful murals rarely seen by visitors to the capital.

Entrance to Mercado Abelardo Rodríguez

Although the market is just a few blocks off the main plaza, it's obscure enough to only get the neighborhood trade. In the 1930s, under the guidance of Diego Rivera, up and coming artists were commissioned to create murals at the entrances and in the stairways of the mercado. Today, few locals even seem to notice them since they are such an intricate part of the daily surroundings and appear to be nothing special.

Circa1935 Mural Inside the Mercado

Themes common to the struggle of the working man is juxtaposed with images of the wealthy and powerful. Clearly, Rivera's influences can be seen in both the painting techniques as well as in the content of the murals.

Mural depicting the Struggle of the Working Classes

On the second floor of the market, in what is neighborhood's community center, is a three-dimensional mural sculpted out of cement and plaster by Japanese artist Isama Naguchi (rumored to have been one of Frida Kahlo's lovers).

Section of Naguchi Sculpture

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Diego's "Creation"

A visit to the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso is a must every time I visit the city. Although the museum now offers an array of interesting murals and temporary exhibits (see them on Tuesdays when the admission is free), I go to see Rivera's first major mural "The Creation."

As a did last year, I was able to catch a Sunday afternoon concert in the amphitheater with Diego's mural as the backdrop. Sponsored by the university, a ticket for any performance here is only $4. Wow, that's cheap entertainment by any definition. Today's mezzo-soprano and pianist were good although not quite my cup of tea. Nonetheless,a peaceful hour was sent in the shadow of one of Mexico's greatest artists.

 

Posted with Blogsy