Mexico City Dialogues: New Architectural Practices / January 27, 2005
This exhibition presented the architecture and urbanism of Mexico City through selected projects by 12 young Mexican firms and a separate exhibition featuring Brooklyn’s Visual and Performing Arts Library by TEN Arquitectos. The Mexican Cultural Institute helped in the publicity of this program.
Traveling Identities / April 1-13, 2005
This installation at the MediaNoche Gallery was about the cultural identity of Mexican immigrants. It was created by La Manga (Mario Villa and Gabriela Medina) in collaboration with Anna Keller and Adriana Alcala. The Mexican Cultural Institute helped in the publicity of this program.
Fiesta @ the Center / May 5, 2005
Celebration of El Cinco de Mayo at The Center for Architecture highlighting the closing days of the Mexico City Dialogues: New Architectural Practices exhibition.
International Studio and Curatorial Program Open Weekend (ISCP) / May 7-9, 2005 and November 19-21, 2005
This partnership between Mexico’s National Fund for Culture and Art (FONCA) and the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York provides emerging Mexican artists with the opportunity to meet with international artists and curators and develop a visual art project during a four month residence in New York City. In 2005 Mexican artists Ilan Lieberman and Humberto Duque participated in the program at the ISCP. For more information on the program visit FONCA’s website at www.conaculta.gob.mx/cnca/fonca/
Remains - Gustavo Aceves Exhibit / May 10-21, 2005
This exhibition by Gustavo Aceves was presented at the Zone: Chelsea Center for the Arts. Included were Aceves’ wonderful figural works, depicting richly layered forms in his reserved palette. The Mexican Cultural Institute of New York helped in the promotion of this exhibit and obtained in-kind gifts to make this exhibition possible.
New York Fast Forward >> Buildings by Enrique Norten/TEN Arquitectos / June 15 through October 30, 2005
This exhibition, presented at the Museum of the City of New York, investigated the work of internationally recognized architect Enrique Norten, who has built extensively in his native Mexico and around the world but has now begun to put his distinctive aesthetic stamp on New York City. The Mexican Cultural Institute helped in the publicity and fundraising activities of this show.
film
Al Otro Lado / April 23, 2005
The Mexican Cultural Institute helped coordinate the publicity for this documentary directed by Natalia Almada at the TriBeCa Cinema. The film chronicles the journey of one man who must choose between illegally immigrating to the United States and trafficking drugs to better his life.
First Nations, First Features / May 12-23, 2005
The Mexican Cultural Institute of New York helped with the publicity of two films by indigenous directors. Day 2 by Dante Carano Bautista was a documentary about the event-filled second day of a P’urepecha wedding. Powerful Mountain by Crisanto Manzano Avella was a visual essay that explored the balance between the indigenous people of Oaxaca and their environment.
Mexican Film Festival / June 11-25, 2005
The Museo del Barrio presented Saturday matinees of Mexican classics that featured the Revolution as backdrop in Mexican cinema. Films included the 1934 classic El Compadre Mexicano and 2002's El Tigre de Santa Julia. The Mexican Cultural Institute facilitated the screening of these films at El Museo del Barrio.
music
Orquestra de Baja California / March 30, 2005
This concert at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center featured works by José Alfredo Jiménez, Alberto Nuñez Palacio and Silvestre Revueltas. The ensemble was conducted by renowned Spanish guitarrist Angel Romero.
Ernesto Villa-Lobos & BAMBA NY / June 4, 2005
The style Nuevo Jarocho from Vera Cruz was highlighted in this performance by award-winning violinist Ernesto Villa-Lobos at Joe’s Pub. This form of music features fast-chatting violins, song and traditional music that draw from the region’s heritage of Spanish settlers and African slaves. The Mexican Cultural Institute of New York helped in the publicity and provided PR resources for this program.
Pasatono / August 27 & 28, 2005
The Mexican Cultural Institute in collaboration with the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival featured the Mixteco group Pasatono at Lincoln Center's La Casita . The band also performed at the Gallery of Music Instruments in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Chile Pepper Fiesta / October 2-3, 2005
This two-day festival included free music, dance lessons, cooking classes, kids events and much more, all surrounded by the beautiful Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. The Mexican Cultural Institute coordinated the participation of Ernesto Villa-Lobos & Bamba-NY for a folk musical performance from Veracruz and the presentation of a culinary demonstration by Besitos restaurant.
Cuarteto de la Ciudad de México / October 14, 2005
As part of the Americas Society 40th Anniversary Celebration, The Mexican Cultural Institute of New York presented Mexico City’s Quartet concert which included violinists Miguel Meisser and Osvaldo Urbieta Méndez, violist Yulia Dogadaeva and cellist Rodrigo Duarte López. The program included pieces by Paquito D’Rivera and Robert Frank as well as Mexican music including a world premiere by Arturo Villela, Silvestre Revueltas’ riveting Música de feria, Manuel Ponce’s Miniaturas, Jose Pablo Moncayo’s all-time favorite Huapango and pieces by Arturo Márquez and Javier Alvarez.
Nortec Collective / October 31, 2005
As part of Flavorpill’s magazine fifth anniversary and the celebration of Halloween, the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York featured Nortec, an electronic ensemble that mixes norteño and tambora sounds with techno music at the Supperclub following the book launch of Paso del Nortec: This is Tijuana! and screenings of Tijuana Remix & Frontier Life at the Cue Art Foundation. Special guests included Deborah Holtz, Executive Director of Trilce and editor of the book, Ed Morales, New York-based music and cultural critic, Juan Carlos Mena, co-founder of Trilce and co-editor of the book and Nortec members Pedro Beas, Octavio Castellanos, Roberto Mendoza and Ramon Amezcua.
Patricia García Torres / November 20, 2005
In commemoration of the 95th Anniversary of Mexico’s Revolution, The Mexican Cultural Institute featured a piano recital by Patricia Garcia Torres at the Weill Recital Hall of the Carnegie Hall. The program included works by Mozart, Schumann, Prokofiev, Debussy, and Mexican Composers Castro, Ibarra and Ponce’s Mexican Ballade.
literature
Book presentation: "En la Selva" / March 2005
This travel book by Carlos Tello Díaz was presented at the Chelsea branch of Barnes and Noble. It tells the story of a three-month trip that the author spent in the Lacandon Rain Forest in the southeast of Mexico. The book documents Tello Díaz’s journey in search of Tzendales, a Maya city discovered and then mysteriously lost by the Harvard archeologist Alfred Tozzer at the beginning of the twentieth century.
PEN World Voices, Festival of International Literature / April 16-22, 2005
A week of public readings by writers from all over the world featured Mexican novelist, translator, journalist and biographer Elena Poniatowska and Paco Ignacio Taibó. These presentations were coordinated and supported by the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York.
Book presentation: "Gritos y Susurros (Cries and Whispers)" / May 3, 2005
The presentation of the book Cries and Whispers: Defining Moments in the Lives of 38 Mexican women by Denise Dresser was hosted at the Americas Society and featured comments by the author with final remarks by Jorge Volpi and anecdotes by Elena Poniatowska, Carmen Boullosa and Nina Zambrano. The book is a collection of essays written by 38 prominent Mexican women, including politicians, artists, writers, journalists, actresses, and activists. Also present at the event were Sabina Berman, Laura Esquivel, Guadalupe Loaeza, and Nina Menocal offering revealing, poignant and fascinating glimpses into the private thoughts and lives of public women.
Book presentation: "Transportes González e Hija" / June 22, 2005
This novel by María Amparo Escandón, author of Santitos, was premiered in English at the Chelsea branch of Barnes & Noble as well as in Spanish at the Librería Lectorum. The author was on hand at both events to read excerpts from the novel and available for a book signing afterwards.
Book presentation: "La Otra Mano de Lepanto" / October 20, 2005
Mexican author Carmen Boullosa’s new novel presentation at the Librería Lectorum. The Mexican Cultural Institute supported the publicity of this program.
Gloria Gervitz & Mónica de la Torre / October 28, 2005
The Poets House in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes and The Mexican Cultural Institute presented Gloria Gervitz, one of the leading mexican poets of the post-Paz generation and Mónica de la Torre, co-editor of a landmark collection of contemporary Mexican poetry in a conversation about long poems, translation, Mexican culture and politics, feminism, and personal memory.
KJCC Poetry Series / November 4, 2005
The King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center in collaboration with The Mexican Cultural Institute of New York presented bilingual readings of Chilean poet Marjorie Agosín’s book Poems for Josefina and Mexican poet Gloria Gervitz’s book Migrations/Migraciones. Both poets were introduced by Mark Schaffer.
Book presentation: "Helen Escobedo: Footsteps in the Sand" / November 10, 2005
Book presentation held at The Cooper Union with the participation of Ms. Escobedo and art critic Dore Ashton.
special events
Commemoration of the 195th Anniversary of Mexico's Independence / September 15, 2005
The Mexican Cultural Institute organized The Official Ceremony of the “Grito de Independencia” was celebrated at The Town Hall with performances by Casa Mexico New Jersey and Mariachi Juvenil Jiquilpan. Just as in previous years, Mexican Flags were raised around the city at various hotels and the Empire State Building was lighted with the colors of the Mexican flag.
