Gelman Collection to be Exhibited in Monterrey in 2028

The Gelman Collection, a significant private art trove including works by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros, is set to be exhibited in Mexico again in 2028. The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO) will host the collection, as announced by Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza. This news follows the collection's current exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM), which closes July 19. After its Mexico showing, the collection will move to Spain under the management of Fundación Santander.

Curiel de Icaza explained that Mexican customs law permits artworks to leave the country for only two years. She also addressed the "Self-Portrait with Medallion" by Kahlo, noting that its legal dispute, which the Supreme Court is reviewing, is separate from the Gelman Collection's export status. She emphasized that the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBAL) denied its definitive export, underscoring the government's commitment to protecting national heritage.

The collective "Defendamos la Colección Gelman" expressed approval of the 2028 Monterrey exhibition, stating that the government had finally listened to civil society. However, they raised concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the collection's future after its MARCO exhibition. The group posed several questions, including whether the agreement would be revised for legal support, who would cover exhibition costs, whether all 160 works or only the 30 designated as artistic monuments would come to Mexico, and if technical reports on the artworks' condition for travel would be published.