Sheinbaum denies that his government allowed the sale of the Gelman Collection

After several days of discussing the issue of the Gelman Collection, the Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, reaffirmed that it remains in the hands of Mexican collectors. The private agreement between them and the banking entity “solely and exclusively supports their management.” The set of artistic works will leave the country to be exhibited in museums in other countries, but must return in 2028 because some paintings have been declared a historical monument.

In the presidential conference, Curiel explained that Banco Santander “strengthens conservation, pays for insurance and is responsible for traveling this collection to different parts of the world with museums. It is management, not acquisition; the collection continues to belong to Mexican collectors. And as the Monuments Law indicates: this collection only has a temporary exit permit, it cannot do so definitively.”

In this regard, president Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted that, like any collection, it has heritage protection, it can leave the country to be exhibited abroad, but with the obligation to return to Mexico. However, he criticized the criticism that has been unleashed around the Gelman Collection. “For weeks now, a number of people on social media have been accusing the government that we are allowing the sale of the collection. False, (that is) absolutely false.”

Sheinbaum stated that in this period the secretariat has explained the situation on several occasions, but they insist with “true lies” that it is going to be sold abroad, only to speak ill of the government. He considered that “it is a private collection that contains very beautiful paintings by great Mexican painters from the era of muralism, mainly.”

Curiel explained that it is a collection that was formed in the 1940s, which includes 30 works by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Orozco, María Izquierdo and Siqueiros, which have been declared an artistic monument, and another 200 works from other periods that were formed over time. He pointed out that “the vocation of this collection is the whole and the historical moment in which it was created, because it speaks precisely of a Mexican context. It is not going to be dismantled.”

He explained that a declaration of artistic monument is given to protect works, whether private or public, that are considered a fundamental part of the history and identity of national artistic creation.

Curiel said that this private collection had not been exhibited in Mexico for 20 years, but currently it can be seen at the Museum of Modern Art, initially until May, but, in agreement with the owners, it was decided to extend its exhibition until July 15 so that it is part of the cultural offer for visitors arriving at the Soccer World Cup.

He emphasized that the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (Inbal) is the body responsible for supervising its conservation, as well as guaranteeing that the collection returns to Mexico, as required by law. In order to carry out this supervision, “it has signed an agreement with the collection to provide technical support and supervision for five years, which is what we have to do in this administration period (…) The collection has to return to Mexico every two years, as established by the Customs Law.”