Retelling the History of the Mexico Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia
abstract
This chapter presents a revised history of the Mexico Pavilions in La Biennale di Venezia. Official discourse on Mexican Pavilions published in the twenty-first century contain significant inconsistencies and omissions about Mexico’s twentieth century participations. These inaccuracies have been repeatedly published in the press, effectively rewriting history. I argue that a more complete historical narrative is necessary for a richer understanding of Mexico’s contribution to the international art scene. First, I examine historical inconsistencies in exhibition publications from 2007-17. Next, I construct a narrative history of the Mexico Pavilions in three stages, in accordance with their aesthetics and contexts of production: post-revolutionary (1950, 1952, 1958, 1968), rupture (1986), and transnational (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2019). Finally, I offer some concluding remarks and suggestions for further research.
Keywords: Mexico Pavilion • Twentieth century Mexican Art • Historical revision • Twenty-first century Mexican Art • La Biennale di Venezia