Si tiene dudas... pregunte

06.02.2016 — 31.07.2016

When in Doubt... ask. A Retrocollective Exhibit of Mónica Mayer is the first retrospective of the art of artist, whose output and action as a creator, critic, teacher and activist has positioned her nationally and internationally as the foremost reference point for Mexican feminist art since the 1970s. The show presents Mayer’s work as an integrated and multidisciplinary phenomenon that displays a continual movement between individual and collective work, and a reflexive dialogue with her personal and social context.

The exhibition further seeks to present itself in a manner distinct from the egocentric and hagiographic narratives that tend to characterize retrospectives, opening up the possibility of involving the public in a narrative and interpretative process that takes into account concepts from feminist theory, art, and literature, and emphasizes the way in which Mayer’s career involves the construction not only of artwork but of a life in art that comprises an alternative to the traditional artist system. The idea of describing the show as a “retrocollective” was suggested by the Argentine art historian María Laura Rosa in reference to this integration of individual and collective, public and private, in Mayer’s career.

The exhibition will include a wide range of output, both individual and in collaboration with other artists and audiences—including many aspects that are little known to general or even specialized audiences—and will rethink key aspects of how contemporary Mexican art is interpreted.

It will encompass two-dimensional work (painting, drawing, prints, mixed media), three-dimensional work, and conceptual work (interactive installations, objects that form part of or are the product of performance activities and social action), photography, video, sound art, artifacts, documents, and publications. Most of the work comes from the artist’s own collection, as well as private and institutional collections in Mexico. A number of conceptual works will also be reactivated, underlining their continued relevance, together with the presentation of performance works during the exhibition both in the museum galleries and at other points around the city.

The exhibition is conceived as an introduction and three cores, which respectively address the principles of feminist art, the connection between the personal, the political, and aesthetics in Mayer’s work, and the dialogue between the work and different audiences and sociopolitical contexts. The interpretation and education program will form an integral aspect of the exhibition, insofar as it shares several of the objectives and operating methods found in Mayer’s work. This will include dialogues with artists and artist-led workshops, guided visits for different audiences, and a seminar with the participation of key figures in the theory, practice and history of feminist art, which will be linked with the gender studies programs.