Modern Art

 Sunday, January 19, 2020

Although we've visited Chapultepec park on each previous trip to Mexico City (CDMX), we'd never been to the Modern Art museum or other art museums in the park. Today, we decided it was time to do so. We also planned to see the Ballet Folklorico at the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Sundays in front of the Hilton Reforma are calm because the road is closed to vehicular traffic. After breakfast, we walked around the corner to catch our Uber to the Museo de Arte Moderna (free). It was colder and more overcast than any other day on this trip.

The first thing that impressed us was the super cool round ceiling over the stairs. It looked like onyx stone. 

We noticed that there was a Frida Kahlo exhibit and we went there first. It was about the 'Las dos Fridas" (the two Fridas) painting. I enjoyed seeing the painting and learning about its background about it. She was a talented, fascinating but tormented woman.

Frida, 1939 Las dos Fridas

Afterwards, we walked up the stairs to the permanent collection. 

There were displays of modern furniture (some of which we own), art from communist regimes, mexican artists, and a lot more. I don't generally like modern art but found plenty in this museum to keep my interest.

Constant, 1963 Greetings from New Babylon

Constant, 1953 Composition with squares

Diego, 1916 Motherhood

David Siquieros, Landscape red

Lilia Carrillo, 1968 Flowering love

Hector Martinez Arteche, 1970 Alice
I loved this one!

We wandered about and ended up outside in the sculpture garden which was very cool.

After perusing the guidebook, we decided to visit the Museo de Tamayo (free), a short walk away through pretty Chapultepec park.

Brother-in-law hard at sightseeing work

This collection is more typical, to my eyes, of modern art installations. It was OK. The building itself was bunker-like and it all felt a little cold.

Picasso, 1973 Nude on a sofa

Rufino Tamayo 1964, Portrait of Olga

Rufino Tamayo 1978, The great galaxy

Max Ernst, 1943, Torpid Town

Mario Garcia Torres, 1975

The cold weather and high altitude got to me in the form of a killer headache, so we headed back to the hotel, admiring the pretty buildings along Reforma as we went.

Husband and brother-in-law walked around, saw more sights, and had a steak dinner at El Cardenal while I napped. We did not make it to the Ballet Folklorico.

Next: Earthquake simulation