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Exhibition revives Mexican cartoonist Abel Quezada's critique of football
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Exhibition revives Mexican cartoonist Abel Quezada's critique of football

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • An exhibition in Mexico City showcases the critical humor of cartoonist Abel Quezada.
  • The exhibit focuses on his commentary on football's role in Mexican identity and society.
  • Quezada's work from the 20th century remains relevant to contemporary discussions around the sport.

An exhibition at the Museo Kaluz in Mexico City is reviving the critical eye of Mexican cartoonist Abel Quezada, exploring his unique perspective on football's deep-seated influence on national identity, passion, and business. The exhibit, titled '¡México-México-México! Abel Quezada between art and sport,' features 82 works selected from his family's extensive collection.

It is a look by Abel criticizing objectively that sport translated into spectacle and business.

— Ery CamaraExplaining the focus of the exhibition on Abel Quezada's work.

Curator Ery Camara highlighted that Quezada, a renowned chronicler and cartoonist of the 20th century, used humor and irony to dissect the spectacle and commercialization of football. His observations often touched upon Mexican identity, nationalism, and the social phenomena surrounding the sport. These insights, developed over half a century ago, resonate strongly today, particularly with the upcoming 2026 World Cup hosted in Mexico.

Today we see millions around the Angel (of Independence) celebrating and we don't know if it's football or the sense of belonging or the solidarity of 'yes we can'.

— Ery CamaraCommenting on the enduring relevance of Quezada's observations on Mexican national sentiment tied to football.

Camara noted the enduring relevance of Quezada's work, pointing to the massive celebrations following Mexican national team matches as evidence. He suggested that these public displays raise questions about whether the fervor is purely about football, or if it reflects a deeper sense of belonging and collective solidarity. Quezada's cartoons, like one depicting a rising sun ball with the caption 'From here to eternity...', provoke contemplation on football's ultimate place in the hearts of Mexicans and the nation's aspirations, including winning the World Cup.

No... what it needs is to win at football.

— Abel QuezadaThe ironic conclusion of a 1966 cartoon discussing what Mexico needs to overcome its complexes.

The exhibition also revisits Quezada's sharp critiques of societal issues. One cartoon from 1966 humorously dismisses conventional solutions like education, honesty, and better nutrition for Mexico's perceived complexes. Instead, Quezada ironically concludes that what the country truly needs is to win at football. His son, Abel Quezada Jr., emphasized the incredible timeliness of his father's work, stating that many of the situations portrayed remain strikingly relevant.

the works are incredibly current

— Abel Quezada Jr.Commenting on the continued relevance of his father's cartoons.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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