Join us for the opening of the traditional Altar de Muertos, designed by Mexican artist Humberto Spíndola . Inspired by the baroque altar piece of the 17th century church in Tlacochahuaya, Oaxaca, the altar will be dedicated to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the seventeenth-century nun whose poems constitute one of the great literary works of the baroque era.  The altar will be open at the Institute through November.

HOURS: Monday — Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm | Saturday: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

11:30 AM MOVIE PRESENTATION:
LA LEYENDA DE LA NAHUALA / THE LEGEND OF THE NAHUALA
[ G  | GENERAL AUDIENCES ]
Ricardo Arnaiz, 2007, Mexico, 86 min.
(SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES)
It's the Day of the Dead in Mexico and Nando is captured by the Nahuala, an evil ancient spirit. Leo, his coward brother, will have to face his biggest fears if he wants to save Nando. An scary adventure for the whole family!

2:30 PM LECTURE
TRADITIONS OF MEXICAN PAPER
by Mexican artist Humberto Spíndola

Humberto Spíndola is an artist who has worked in the Mexican folk art tradition of cut-paper since the 1980’s.  His mastery of the paper art tradition and his ability to create bridges between the art form, which can be traced back to pre-Hispanic civilizations, and the contemporary arts makes him a much sought after figure in the scene. Spíndola has exhibited extensively in Mexico and internationally, including Paris, Helsinki, Lille, Bilbao, and San Diego, Argentina and, now, in Washington DC.  His work is part of the numerous private collections as well as that of the British Museum in London.

Location: Mexican Cultural Institute
2829 16th Street, NW | Washington, D.C.
Blocks from Columbia Metro Station (Map location)
Free entrance | Street parking available.

Tuesday, November 3 @ 6:30PM

THE DESERT WITHIN (Desierto Adentro)

A family seeks to be forgiven by God: protective love and religious obsession are portrayed by Rodrigo Pla. The moving performances and astonishing cinematography of this new film made it sweep the awards at several festivals. Best Cinematography, Havana Film Festival, 2008; FIPRESCI Prize, Haifa International Film Festival, 2008; Audience, MEZCAL, Mayahuel Awards, Guadalajara Mexican Film Festival DIR Rodrigo Pla, Mexico, 2009, 112 min.

Wednesday, November 4 @ 6:30PM

MEET THE HEAD OF JUAN PEREZ (Conozca la Cabeza de Juan Pérez)

This hilarious black comedy sees B-grade magician Juan Pérez the Great hurtling through a series of misadventures as he tries to keep his job in the circus. He promises a sensational never-before-seen beheading act, but to pull it off, he must find a guillotine. The trouble really starts when he breaks into a history museum to pilfer the genuine article – a guillotine that carries a deadly curse. Mayahuel Award, Guadalajara Film Festival, 2008 DIR Emilio Portes, Mexico, 2009, 85 min.

E Street Cinema 555 11th Street NW Washington, DC 20004 (entrance on E Street between 10th and 11th Street) (202) 452-7672

TICKETS All movies free Admission.  First come, first seated. Tickets given away 30 min prior to screening, at the door. 1 ticket per person. Auditorium opens 15 min prior to screening.

The Real Story of the Superheroes
Photography by Dulce Pinzón
The Real Story of the Superheroes introduces the Mexican immigrant in New York in a satirical documentary style featuring ordinary men and women in their work environment donning superhero garb, thus raising questions of both our definition of heroism and our ignorance of and indifference to the workforce that fuels our ever-consuming economy.

Location: Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts | 1632 U St NW | Washington DC | 20009
202-483-8600 Phone | 202-483-8601 Fax | heal@SmithFarm.com | www.SmithFarm.com

 
BERNABE MENDEZ from the State of Guerrero
works as a professional window cleaner in New York.
He sends 500 dollars a month.

MEXICO AT FOTOWEEK DC

dialogues in mexican photography

The Mexican Cultural Institute is pleased to join FotoWeek DC with two exhibitions highlighting Mexico’s vibrant photographic scene. The first floor galleries will present an exhibition of photographs from one of the most important collections in Mexico, that of the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City. The exhibition will include more than 60 works by over 30 artists, offering a comprehensive look at 20th century photography in Mexico from some of the century’s most important photographers, like Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Agustín Jiménez, Edward Weston and Tina Modotti, as well as contemporary artists like Graciela Iturbide, Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, and Lourdes Grobet. The images range in style, from avant-garde classical images, to late modern works and photographs that explore images as aesthetical constructions.

The fourth floor galleries will feature the work of 5 contemporary photographers, Mauricio Alejo, Iñaki Bonillas, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Melanie Smith and Laureana Toledo.  Together, the exhibitions allow the viewer to witness the wide range of Mexican photographic expressions and creates the possibility for dialogues between generations, themes and approaches to the medium.

Location: Mexican Cultural Institute
2829 16th Street, NW | Washington, D.C.
Blocks from Columbia Metro Station | Free entrance | Street parking available.

Gallery Hours: Monday — Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm | Saturday: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

The Mexican Cultural Institute would like to acknowledge the support of:

LA FONTEGARA

(MEXICO)

Instrumental ensemble dedicated to the performance of Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo music (c. 1450-c. 1770)

on replicas of original instruments.

PERFORMERS:

María Díez-Canedo, recorder and flute

Eunice Padilla, harpsichord

Eloy Cruz, Baroque guitar and archlute

Friday, November 20, 2009 & 7:00 pm
Location: Mexican Cultural Institute
2829 16th Street, NW | Washington, D.C.
R.S.V.P. icmdc@instituteofmexicodc.org | Free entrance

Street parking available after 6:30 pm

Saturday, November 21, 2009 & 6:00 pm
Location: Kennedy Center - Millennium Stage
2700 F Street, NW | Washington, D.C. 20566
Free entrance | Directions and parking

Mexican Table Autumn 2009
with Patricia Jinich

Each session is $70.00 per person | First come, first served. Payment information click HERE
Location: Mexican Cultural Institute
2829 16th Street, NW | Washington, D.C.
Blocks from Columbia Metro Station (Map location)
Street parking available after 6:30 pm.
RSVP: icmdc@instituteofmexicodc.org

More information log to Pati’s Mexican Table ...

Rufino Tamayo and the Mixografía® Years (1974-1990): A Cross Border Journey

Meridian International Center, together with the MIXOGRAFÍA® Workshop and Landau Traveling Exhibitions in Los Angeles, California, has installed nearly 40 signed prints by renowned Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991). These are on view at Meridian’s Cafritz Galleries in its historic Washington, D.C. campus.

Location: Meridian International Center
White-Meyer House (Cafritz Galleries)
1624 Crescent Place, NW, Washington, DC 20009
Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Sunday; 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
MORE INFORMATION: LOG TO www.meridian.org/tamayo 

NATIVE OPERA: El conejo y el coyote | The rabbit and the coyote
by Victor Rasgado (Mexican/Zapotec)
 
This one-act chamber opera is based on Zapotec stories and is inspired by the artwork of Mexican painter Francisco Toledo (Zapotec). Sung in a fantastical imaginary language and narrated in English, the work blends many stories in which wily Rabbit outwits Coyote. Recommended for all ages.

Discussion: After Saturday’s program, meet the creative artists involved in the production!

Location: National Museum of the American Indian | Rasmuson Theater
4th Street & Independence Avenue, SW | Washington, DC | www.AmericanIndian.si.edu
FREE and open to the public | Seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

This program received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Additional support provided by the Mexican Cultural Institute, the State of Oaxaca, and the Smithsonian Associates’ Discovery Theater.

The African Presence in México: From Yanga to the Present

The exhibition examines the history, culture, and art of Afro-Mexicans, and begins in the colonial era and continues to the present day. Highlights of the exhibition include discussions of African slavery in Mexico and the hero/slave rebel Yanga; artifacts related to the traditions and popular culture of Afro-Mexicans; and paintings, masks, photography, and other works of art.
 
Location: Anacostia Community Museum
901 Fort Place SE | Washington DC 20020 | For more information log to: www.anacostia.si.edu
Hours of operation for the museum are 10:00am to 5:00pm daily except December 25

A conversation with Mexican-Canadian artist
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
and Ryan Hill, from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

The event will feature a video presentation of the artist’s most recent projects including commissions for the Venice Biennale and the Guggenheim Museum 50th anniversary.

Location: Art Museum of the Americas
201 18th Street, NW | Washington, DC 20006
Free admission | Street Parking available More information …
RSVP: cdiaz@instituteofmexicodc.org