A Vision of Current Mexican Art

Ibis Hernández Abascal

An article discussing contemporary culture in Mexico through analysing works by Mexican artists. Abascal identifies globalisation, transnationalism and migration as key processes in the development of Mexican culture. The dialogue of this conversation is categorised into two sections; ‘Physical and Social Environment’, where Abascal describes artworks that engage the discourse of geographical location and identity, and, ‘Appropriation and Intercrossing’, where he describes artworks that discuss the relationships between cultural and political systems

Ibis Hernández Abascal uses the practice of Carlos Aguirre as an example of decontextualisation:

“Decontextualisation (as well as other practices) facilitate the inclusion of waste in works of art, endowing them with multiple connotations that range from the distinct aesthetic proposal implicit in the contrast of non-conventional materials with those traditionally used to create beauty all the way to social messages that cause alarm and provoke reflection.

Carlos Aguirre and Helen Escobedo are two artists who have used such materials in their installations in order to refer to pollution, acid rain and other corrosive agents that harm the ecosystem.”

Ibis Hernández Abascal, A vision of Current Mexican Art, article, atlantica: revista de las artes, 1996

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