Mérida pays tribute to Rufino Tamayo now in the emblematic Paseo de Montejo with the exhibition of 10 colorful sculptures in the shape of slices of watermelon created by Mexican talent.
The temporary collection arrived in Mérida last May and was one of the attractions that were part of the “La Noche Blanca” program in the Passage of the Revolution, where it remained for three months captivating Meridians and foreign visitors. Now this delightful art exhibit is once again placed in the public space to join the attractions that make Mérida a benchmark for art and culture.
The exhibition is achieved as a joint effort by the Mérida City Council with Casa Vico, owner of this collection of sculptural pieces, as well as the Regional Museum of Anthropology of Yucatán (Palacio Cantón) and the Ateneo Museum of Contemporary Art. of Yucatan -MACAY- Fernando García Ponce.
The curatorship and general coordination is in charge of Nancy Mayagoitia, who with the project sought to add the talent and creativity of notable artists who were disciples of the honoree, admirers and collaborators and share the memory of the artist through art.
“Tribute to Tamayo” arises in 2021, to remember Tamayo’s death anniversary, three decades after his departure. The complete collection is made up of 30 large-format works and was set up as the first major urban art exhibition in honor of the Mexican artist in the Plaza de la Danza, in Oaxaca.
In each of the artistic views that will be exhibited in Mérida, the creativity of 10 Oaxacan artists can be appreciated. On one side of the sculpture, the Mexican creators intervened the work with their personal stamp and on the other side the red color with black seeds of the fruit is reflected, an iconic symbol that accompanied the creative development and the vast production of Tamayo.
The watermelon-shaped sculptures are made of fiberglass and automotive enamel and measure 2 meters x 1.65 meters, mounted on a base.
The artists who pay homage in this collection are Abraham Torres, Ana Santos, Celio Sánchez, Guillermo Pons, Ivonne Kennedy, Jarol Moreno, Virgilio Santaella, Josefa García, Raúl Soruco and María Rosa Astorga. Each work has a different title where textures, calligraphies, cosmic beings, symbolic landscapes, a night scene of nature to birds flying and Tamayo’s chromatic universe are combined, as well as a QR code with more information about them.
Rufino Tamayo is one of the Oaxacan painters recognized worldwide for his legacy of art and unique pieces that combine color, texture, harmony and identity.
The ten watermelons from the “Tribute to Tamayo” will remain on display until the end of October this year on Paseo de Montejo in Mérida.
TYT Newsroom
