The Living Museum of Muralism is inaugurated

In the past, the change of government was experienced as rupture. who knows whysaid President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum with a smile. The occasion was the inauguration of the Living Museum of Muralism (MVM), in the historic building of the Ministry of Public Education (SEP).

Sheinbaum and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador exchanged praise and reiterated their idea of ​​a smooth transition, in addition to referring to the importance of the new museum and its murals, which condense the third transformationthat is, the Mexican Revolution.

In the first patio of the SEP, that is, surrounded by Diego Rivera’s murals, Sheinbaum connected the history captured on the walls with the town as architect of its present and its future, with the 4T and with the achievements of the current government to reach the juncture: the exclusion of Felipe VI, king of Spain, from the list of guests for his inauguration.

Before the president-elect’s intervention, the head of Government Martí Batres recovered phrases from David Alfaro Siqueiros and the art critic Raquel Tibol to talk about the humanistic tendency of some muralists who were more like communists.

Leticia Ramírez Amaya, head of the SEP, took advantage of the event to pass the baton to Mario Delgado, who will succeed her in office starting next week and said that he will be responsible for ensuring that the new museum remains open to the people (We will have to see how he achieves this when there are teacher protests).

The secretary also recognized the work of some of her collaborators, in addition to thanking the President with whom she worked and greeting the president with whom she will work: Goodbye, President; welcome, presidentclosed his intervention.

López Obrador recalled that the murals began to be carried out during the presidency of Álvaro Obregón, who despite being strict, harsh He had the sensitivity to make José Vasconcelos Secretary of Education, who opened the doors to the muralists. He specified that, however, the great Mexican muralists They also did easel painting, because they needed to have income.

The Executive, the president-elect and various officials toured the spaces that will be open to the public when the adaptation works are completed.

They toured the hallways of the first two levels of the SEP’s historic headquarters, since the third will continue to be offices.

When calling him vivoexplained a SEP official, Reference is made to the mission of strengthening and encouraging the encounter of a broad public with our mural heritage, since these works remain alive to the extent that they generate experiences that excite and make one think..

More than 3 thousand square meters of murals will be open to the public as soon as the works are completed, with the purpose, said the SEP, of expanding the dissemination of muralism.

The venue houses the murals made on the walls of that secretariat between 1922 and 2010, as well as more recent works that will occupy temporary exhibition rooms.

The permanent collection includes pieces by Diego Rivera, Luis Nishizawa, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Roberto Montenegro, among other artists.

In the building with a façade facing Argentina Street, visitors will be able to see the Work and Festival patios. In the first case, these are works that allude to the hardness of the work, at the same time that the dignity and strength of those who carry it out with emphasis on the collective character.

In the Patio de las Fiestas different popular celebrations are represented and there are also the coats of arms of the states of the Republic, which were painted by Diego Rivera’s assistants.

Space for children

The old offices of the agency are being converted into spaces such as the one dedicated to the history of the buildings that house the museum; a library named after Aurora Reyes Flores, considered the first woman muralist.

The new museum will also have a space for children and another for attendees to learn about popular art with pottery and cardboard making activities. Likewise, it will have a bookstore and cafeteria, as well as rooms dedicated to muralism techniques and other artistic expressions.

The MVM will incorporate works by active artists, who were asked to create murals about episodes in history that are not on the walls of the SEP. To Antonio Ortiz, Loudhe was responsible for working on armed insurrections and dedicated his mural to the Popular Guerrilla Group that attacked the Madera barracks, Chihuahua, in 1965. That work can be seen in the Carlos Mérida room.