Mexico: Fantastic Identity, 20th Century Masterpieces

Artists: Arnaldo Coen, Gunther Gerzso, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Manuel Felguérez, Tina Modotti, Agustín Lazo, Alfredo Ramos Martínez, Alice Rahon, Ángel Zárraga, Antonio Ruiz, Bernard Silberstein, Brian Nissen, Carlos Orozco Romero, José Luis Cuevas, Joy Laville, Cordelia Urueta, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, Fernando García Ponce, Flor Garduño, Frida Kahlo, Gabriel Fernández Ledesma, Gabriel Figueroa, Gerardo Murillo “Dr. Atl”, Graciela Iturbide, Guillermo Meza Álvarez, Héctor García, Hugo Brehme, Jean Charlot, José Clemente Orozco, Juan O’Gorman, Juan Rodrigo Llaguno, Juan Soriano, Kati Horna, Leonora Carrington, Lilia Carrillo, Lola Álvarez Bravo, Lucienne Bloch, Manuel Rodríguez Lozano, María Izquierdo, Olga Costa, Paulina Lavista, Pedro Coronel, Pedro Friedeberg, Peter Stackpole, Remedios Varo, Roberto Montenegro, Rodolfo Morales, Rodrigo Moya, Rogelio Cuéllar, Roger von Gunten, Rufino Tamayo, Ursula Bernath, Vicente Rojo, Xavier Guerrero and Cerrar Modal

Alongside these works are the avant-garde movements of the last century and the so-called Ruptura movement, which, in the second half of the 20th century, promoted abstraction, geometric abstraction, and other forms of artistic expression. Also on display are works related to fantastical representation and surrealism, which became fashionable in Mexico with André Breton’s visit in 1938 and the arrival of European artists after World War II, as well as works in which Mexican and European imagery coexist naturally.

The exhibition is enriched by a collection of portraits of the artists themselves, taken by prominent Mexican photographers such as Tina Modotti, Edward Weston, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Lola Álvarez Bravo, Kati Horna, Ursula Bernath, Graciela Iturbide, Paulina Lavista, Flor Garduño, Rodrigo Moya, Juan Rodrigo Llaguno, Héctor García, and Rogelio Cuéllar, which provide context and a personal perspective on the artists’ work.

The works in MEXICO: FANTASTIC IDENTITY, 20TH CENTURY MASTERPIECES. FEMSA COLLECTION are part of a heritage collection built by FEMSA since 1977, a collection that reflects the concerns and transformations of Latin American art from the 20th century to the present day. The Museum of Modern Art of Medellín, as part of its commitment to showcasing artistic expressions from other parts of the world and in celebration of the FEMSA Collection’s fortieth anniversary, is hosting this exhibition, which coincides with the Mexico-Colombia Dual Year.

FOMENTO ECONÓMICO MEXICANO S.A. DE C.V. (FEMSA) is a multinational company headquartered in Mexico, involved in the beverage and retail industries, whose mission is to generate economic, social, and environmental value for the communities where it operates.