Myra Landau in Dialogue with Mexico’s Abstract Vanguard
The exhibition brought together a selection of key artists who shaped the development of non-figurative art in Mexico across three transformative decades. As a central figure within this generation, Myra Landau’s work was presented in dialogue with figures such as Rufino Tamayo, Gunther Gerzso, Mathias Goeritz, Helen Escobedo, Manuel Felguérez, and Lilia Carrillo—artists who played a defining role in the evolution of abstract practices in Mexico.
Featuring over fifty works, the exhibition traced a shift away from dominant figurative traditions, highlighting a generation of artists who approached abstraction as a space of rupture and experimentation. Many of the works engage with broader political and social realities, where non-figurative art extends beyond the visible to reflect deeper cultural and historical tensions.
In connection with the exhibition, MAM later organized a guided mediation visit titled “Lo que le pasó a Hawaii… y al arte abstracto”, which explored links between abstract art and today’s national and global context. Focusing on themes of freedom and politics, the visit invited reflection on contemporary issues such as migration and forced displacement. Myra Landau’s Ritmo Imprevisto (1975) was selected as one of the key works through which these questions were explored.
“[Such visits] allow us to understand that art is in dialogue with everyday life […] while also looking to history to reflect on our present.” Adela González, Head of Mediation at MAM.
