Mexico 2024 – Bats, Kiosko, Santa Maria de Ribera

In Chapultepec Park there was a bat theme happening just before we left. Entering the park, visitors were greeted by these big bats. (In Spanish murciélagos, a creepy name.)

Just inside the entrance to the park, there was a stunning photographic exhibit of bats that are found on a particular island where they congregate.

On the recommendation of my friend, Jaap, we went to see the Morisco Kiosk (Kiosco Morisco) and explore the surrounding Santa Maria de Ribera neighbourhood. The kiosk is built in the neo-Mudejar architectural style that was prevailing in Spain in the 19th century. It is completely made of wrought iron with a glass cupola dome at the top. The kiosk is made of panels that can be disassembled and moved if needed. The Morisco Kiosk was built by José Ramón Ibarrola as the Mexico Pavilion at the 1884 World’s Fair in New Orleans then used for the Saint Louis Exposition in 1902 after which it was brought back to Mexico.

Just across the street from the Kiosco is the Museo del Instituto de Geología de la UNAM, a geology museum operated by the University. The displays weren’t much but the building itself was remarkable.

Santa Maria de Ribera is an old and diverse neighbourhood with all sorts of architecture.

And flowers……….

Mexico 2024 – bits and bobs

Fun with a balcony

The tree and the car need help

A beautiful and elegant ($$$) antique mall in Zona Rosa

International Women’s Day, March 8, is a very big deal in Mexico. Not surprising as 10 women are killed every day.

Ahh, those gorgeous jacarandas

A flower among flowers

A group of architects has been staying at Anys during the week since last August and they drive back to Puebla where they live every weekend. They have a big project here in CDMX that necessitates them being here and they spend all day every day in the garden area with their computers often working late into the night. We’ve come to be friends with them and have had some lovely game nights where we were introduced to Rumicub and showed them how to play 5 crowns. This is Daniela, one of them who found this injured little dog by the side of the freeway on one of their trips back to Mexico City. That is one lucky dog. She would have died there by the road if Daniela hadn’t brought her here, cared for her, took her to the vet, named her Atena and kept her until she was back on her feet then gave her to a good friend where she’ll be loved and cared for.

Mexico 2024 – UNAM

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), National Autonomous University of Mexico was founded in 1551 by the Catholic Church under the Spanish crown, became a national university in 1910 and in 1929 became the autonomous university it is now with an enrollment of just over 350,000 making it one of the biggest universities in the world. On campus there are many notable artworks by Diego Rivera, Rufino Taymayo and David Siqueiros but probably the best known is the six story library building that was completely muralized by Juan O’Gorman, one of Mexico’s most eminent artists. It is an eyeful.

Each of the four sides of the building represent an era of Mexican history.

The murals are actually made up of these coloured stones.

Some other pieces located around a huge commons.

Some contemporary murals

The Museum of Contemporary Art is also located on campus. Designed by Teodoro González de León, it is the first museum in Mexico to display only art created in the 21st century.

A Rufino Tamayo sculpture out front

A tile car just inside

Some pieces from the exhibits there

And back home to our little garden hideaway

Mexico 2024 – Lily, El Chopo, etc

Earlier this month, my granddaughter, Lily, came for a visit. We showed her the best of Mexico City and had a terrific time.

At the Villa de Guadalupe

At the pyramids

Sampling churros

Museo el Chopo has collections in contemporary art, and is part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The building was designed and built in Germany around 1900 as an exhibition facility and subsequently purchased by Mexicans to be used for an exhibition hall. The University finally acquired it and it now has art exhibitions, cinema and performances. Here’s some of the show Kathryn and I saw.

Mexico 2024 – Xochimilco, visitors, random sights

One of the “obligatory” attractions in Mexico City is Xochimilco. Wikipedia says: In southern Mexico City, a gritty working-class neighborhood gives way to the famous canals of Xochimilco, the last remnants of a vast water transport system built by the Aztecs. Colorful gondola-like boats take visitors on cruises while food vendors, artisans and mariachi bands float past. Like Lucha Libre, I’d never had much interest in it. But I went and thoroughly enjoyed it. And, like Lucha Libre, Xochimilco seemed like a sort of rite of passage for visitors to Mexico City. So I went with a group of friends. But unlike Lucha Libre, it pretty much lived up (or down) to my expectations. It was pleasant enough to float around for a couple of hours with a group of friends but it was pretty over the top touristy.

You can get pretty much anything you want, from margaritas to mariachis delivered by boat.

Some of our visitors

Mike, Rosann and Kathryn sample some chocolate dipped churros

Maureen, my garden friend, her brother, Tom, me and Kathryn enjoying some outstanding seafood.

Things we saw while wandering around

We’ve noticed a number of these little lane way row houses.

Until next time………….

Mexico 2014 – Art, friends, this and that

At the Museum of Modern Art

Bert and Alan, friends from the building where I live, came for a visit. We had a great time.

A playground downtown

I hope the murals don’t traumatize the children

A very compact soccer pitch

At the National Museum of Art, an exhibit of works by Santos Balmori, a Spanish/Mexican illustrator who also designed textiles, flyers and created engravings and paintings as well as posters against fascism.

I’ll leave you with a little dance

Mexico 2024 – Día de la Candelaria

Día de la Candelaria or Candelmas as it’s known in English, is the last day of Christmas and celebrated on February 2 celebrated in Mexico and Spain. This festival is full of special events and the most important blessing to the baby Jesus. Leading up to the event, people can be seen carrying dolls that represent the baby Jesus. It’s also the day when people who found a baby Jesus figure in their rosca cake (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_cake) are obliged to throw a tamale party. In CDMX there were all day festivities.

Mexico 2024 – Photos, Danzon, etc

Another one of my regular stops is the Centro de Imagen, The Image Centre, a facility for the exhibition, instruction, preservation, diffusion of photography. There were several excellent displays, one of photos by Angeles Torrejón whose photos were also part of the Zapatista display at San Ildefonso.

Hector Garcia was another of the artists on display. He was one of the most awarded and prolific Mexican photojournalists of his time and his work appeared in many major publications in the mid twentieth century. Another happy discovery for me.

Like most of the notable museums in the city, this one is situated in a beautiful colonial building.

In the same square where the photography museum is, there is the regular Saturday Danzón session in the park where people come to dance the Danzón, a Cuban dance with European roots that is very popular in Mexico.

And who knows what kind of knockout sights you’ll see walking down the sidewalk

Mexico 2024 – San Ildefonso cont. etc

Also at San Ildefonso was an exhibition commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Zapatista Movement. In 1994 the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, EZLN, coordinated a 12-day uprising in the state of Chiapas, Mexico in protest of the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The organization’s goals were around agrarian reform and protecting indigenous rights. Though successful in promoting their programs in several cities in rural Chiapas, in the last several years they have been under threat by not only by their traditional opponents, paramilitary groups and the Mexican army, they are now threatened by narco cartels and a drop off in adherents. (Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapatista_uprising)

CNI is the National Indigenous Congress inaugurated by the EZLN. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Indigenous_Congress

Stars in the firmament of Mexican culture: top left, Father Miguel Hidalgo, credited with uttering the cry for freedom that sparked the war of independence from Spain; top right Emiliano Zapata, one of the insurgent leaders in the Mexican Revolution; bottom left, subcomandante Marcos, first leader of the Zapatista movement; I don’t know who the guy on the bottom right is; and front and centre, Virgin of Guadalupe

A few photos from an excellent exhibition of three contemporary Mexican photographers at the Museo Archivo de la Fotografía.

And some random stuff

Quinceañera dresses. The Quinceañera is a coming coming out birthday for girls on their 15th birthday. It’s a big deal in Mexican culture as the dresses might suggest

And on we go. Stay tuned………..

Mexico 2024 – Museo San Ildefonso

The Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso is one of my regular stops on the museum trail. Once a prestigious Jesuit college, founded in 1588, San Ildefonso is considered to be the birthplace of the muralist movement in Mexico and has continued to be one of the premier art venues in the city. On this visit one of the featured shows was of works by Sergio Hernández, a new artist for me. I wasn’t wowed by the show but appreciated the skill and vision.

Many of his pieces are etched in gold leaf

Something completely different