Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico
Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico
From his humble childhood to the presidency of Mexico, the story of Benito Juárez (1806–72) is legendary. An indigenous Zapotec Indian, he was born in a small mountain village in the rural state of Oaxaca. At age twelve, Juárez left home for Oaxaca City, where he studied in the seminary before entering the Institute of Arts and Sciences to study law.
His political views were profoundly influenced by the ideals of the European Enlightenment, particularly the rule of law and self-government. Beginning in the late 1840s, Juárez set out to reform Mexico according to these ideals, a relentless pursuit framed by war. Juárez’s determined efforts transformed Mexico into a modern republic, making him a beloved national icon.
Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico is a ground-breaking exhibition, co-curated with the National Museum of Mexican Art. Over 25 national treasures from Mexico never before exhibited in the United States will be on display, including a bronze death mask of Juárez, an oversized painting of Juárez by Jorge Gonzalez Camarena, and his signature top hat and suit. Benito Juárez is presented in tandem with Abraham Lincoln Transformed; the two exhibitions are key elements in the Museum’s Lincoln Bicentennial year.
image: “Benito Juarez,” by Jorge Gonzalez Camarena, 1968
October 10, 2009 through April 12, 2010
The Chicago History Museum
1601 North Clark S.
312.642.4600
Georgina Valverde: Moral Geometry
Georgina Valverde: Moral Geometry
Opening Friday, December 4
6pm-10pm
With performance by Microgig starting at 8:00 p.m.
December 4 – January 2, 2010
In the introduction of The Book of Tea, Okakura Kakuzo speaks of “moral geometry” to explain how ‘The Philosophy of Tea,” or “Teaism,” embodies Eastern ideals related to purity, simplicity, and a sense of proportion to nature and the cosmos. “Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence,” says Kakuzo.
Moral Geometry makes sense out of the “sordid facts” of the quotidian: repetition, waste and consumption. Using the components of over 1600 teabags donated by friends and acquaintances, Georgina Valverde creates a body of work exploring the potential for repeated small actions to manifest form, beauty and meaning.
The centerpiece of Moral Geometry is a small building titled Tea cage based on the Wardian case, a precursor of the modern terrarium. Working for the British East India Company in 1848, Robert Fortune used Wardian cases to smuggle 20,000 tea plants from Shanghai to start the first plantations in Assam, India. Tea cage is a flexible structure that can be broken down into a series of screens or space dividers. As such, Tea cage is a forum for performance, workshops and social encounters. The first event is a performance by Microgig. Other events will be announced.
ANTENA
1765 S. Laflin St.
Hugo Fontela Art Exhibit “Gulf of Mexico Days”
Hugo Fontela Art Exhibit “Gulf of Mexico Days”
Between the coast of the Mexican Gulf and his New York Studio in Soho, Hugo Fontela (Asturias, Spain 1986) has been developing his new artistic projects. In this show, the Spanish artist, settled in New York five years ago, introduces us to works of art that set aside the urban scenery to go deeper into a more tropical, naturalistic and oriental painting; These pure paintings, where the dead palms stuck along the beaches of Florida gain absolute prominence in big canvas and delicate pieces, will bring to Chicago the best and newest work of this young artist.
Hugo Fontela – This young, Asturian painter is considered to be one of the most prestigious among current Spanish artists. Fontela earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts at the School of Art of Oviedo. In 2004, he joined The Art Students League of New York. Fontela has received numerous awards, such as the Award of Extraordinary Merit in the Arts, which is granted to the most outstanding of pupils, and in November, 2005, he was given the BMW Award in Painting, one of the most prestigious in Spain.
Instituto Cervantes Gallery
31 W Ohio
FREE & open to the public
Until February 1, 2010
