La Jornada: They bid farewell to the exhibition Emblematic Works from the Gelman Collection at the MAM with mariachis

Modern stories: Emblematic works from the Gelman Santander Collection Its exhibition concluded yesterday, so a group of people gathered outside the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) and brought mariachis to say goodbye to the collection, whose next stop will be in Europe.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (Inbal) published a statement on the MAM social networks in which it highlights that the name of the Gelman Santander Collection is part of a temporary private agreement, and reiterates that it has not been acquired by the banking entity.

He also highlighted that, although there are works declared artistic monuments of the nation, this “does not make them property of the government of Mexico nor does it change the ownership of whoever owns them,” the statement states.

“The legitimate owners signed a collaboration agreement with the Banco Santander Foundation. This agreement is strictly limited to tasks of management, conservation, research and international cultural dissemination of the pieces.

“The document does not contemplate, under any circumstances, the transfer of ownership of the works or their sale to foreign entities. The name Gelman Santander is part of the temporary agreement and does not mean that the foundation has acquired this collection in any way,” the statement reads.

It also reports that “Inbal signed a formal agreement with the owners of the collection and the Banco Santander Foundation, the validity of which covers the period corresponding to the current administration. Through this instrument, the institute undertakes to strictly monitor that all administrative processes of transfer and exhibition occur in total compliance with the law.”

The text states that the export of Artistic Monuments is definitively prohibited, and the departure of pieces abroad is authorized exclusively under temporary export permits, in accordance with the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments and Zones.

The exhibition will travel to venues in Spain, Switzerland and Norway. Its return to Mexico is scheduled for 2028, where a season is already planned at the Marco museum in Monterrey, Nuevo León.

The collection is made up of 90 pieces by artists such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, María Izquierdo, Rufino Tamayo, José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Francisco Toledo, Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, Graciela Iturbide and Gabriel Figueroa, among others.

According to the Inbal report, the exhibition was visited by about 200 thousand people.