San Ildefonso houses “a tribute to the visual symphony that Picasso conceived”

Mexico City. The work of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), pioneer of cubism and recognized as one of the most influential creators of the 20th century, was reinterpreted by a group of 52 artists convened by photographer Rogelio Cuéllar and editor María Luisa Passarge.

The exhibition To paraphrase Picasso, inaugurated yesterday at the Colegio de San Ildefonso, it brings together 54 pieces created expressly by national and foreign artists residing in Mexico, among which oil paintings, acrylics, metals, inks and assemblages stand out.

“This is the third interdisciplinary project that I have carried out together with María Luisa Passarge; the other two are From earth to sky: Painters play Hopscotch with Cortázar (2013), y The table of elements (2019), Cuéllar explained in an interview with The Conference

“Our idea was to launch this initiative in October of last year, in the context of the half century since Picasso’s death, but we did not obtain sponsors for the production. Thanks to Estudio Rivelino and the young businessman and collector Roberto Pérez Morales we were able to reach a successful conclusion.

We asked the artists to work in a 50 by 50 centimeter format, if two-dimensional, and in a 40 by 40, three-dimensional format. However, some were disobedient. The purpose is to pay tribute to the visual symphony that Picasso conceived, whose chords have resonated throughout history and incited a sensory and emotional exploration.

Some of the participants in the exhibition are Per Anderson, Jordi Boldó, Arturo Buitrón, Lorena Camarena, Miguel Casco, Héctor de Anda, Claudia Doring Baez, Laura Echevarría, José Antonio Farrera, Demián Flores, René Freire, Claudia Gallegos, Vanessa García Lembo , Javier Guadarrama, Manuela Generali, Jazzamoart, Arturo Lazcano, Antonio Luquín, Adán Paredes, Néstor Quiñones, Paloma Torres and Gustavo Monroy.

Throughout 140 square meters, spectators will be able to witness the creative splendor of a wide range of artists (born between 1939 and 1991), as well as their intellectual manifestations through painting, sculpture, photography and caricature; all inspired by the aesthetic, philosophical and poetic legacy of the Malaga painter.

Two of the most iconic canvases from Pablo Picasso’s prolific artistic career, The Avignon ladies (1907) y Guernica (1937), were paraphrased by two of the masters of this publishing house: Rafael Barajas The Snooper and Gonzalo Rocha, who contributed to the works The little judges of Avignon (2023), painted and glued wallpapers, and Guernica in the bones (2023), charcoal, acrylic and Indian ink on amate paper, respectively.

None of the artists knew what the other colleagues were doingadded Cuéllar, who confirmed that this exhibition will arrive in October at the Diego Rivera Museum in Guanajuato, as part of the International Cervantino Festival.

“Picasso’s artistic contribution is evident. He revolutionized the conventions of figurative art and masterfully deformed them. The magic of his creativity was not limited only to the canvas, but extended to sculpture, ceramics, graphics and design, and transcended with great skill.

In each stroke and each brushstroke, Picasso wove a tapestry of meanings that reflects not only his insight as an artist, but also the evolution of society and culture in his time. The montage reminds us that art constitutes a universal language that connects people across generations and cultures.

For her part, María Luisa Passarge pointed out that “Picasso is synonymous with creativity. He is one of those geniuses who always used his time to do what he wanted most: painting. He painted when he ate, when he went to the bathroom and even during his free time. Beyond appreciating his works, I was very excited to discover his creation process.

That innate strength he had seemed fantastic to me. We cannot ignore the dichotomy between the creative man and his relationship with women, art, other colleagues, topics that abound on the debate table. In the end, this initiative strives to celebrate his art.

Paraphrasing Picasso It can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Colegio de San Ildefonso (Justo Sierra 16, Centro Historico neighborhood). Admission costs 50 pesos; Students and teachers with a valid credential pay half, and children under 12 years old, as well as older adults with an Inapam credential, enter for free. Ends June 30.