Photography is considered the eighth art (curious, because it appeared before cinema, which is considered the seventh), and in the CDMX it is given all the honor it deserves in several venues in various exhibitions. If you want to spend some time viewing galleries and photo galleries, this is the must-see guide:
1. Mexichrome. Photography and color in Mexico
Discover the history behind color photography over eight decades. 110 photographers from all over the continent present 180 pieces where they portray our country with all its colorfulness. At the end of the day, what this exhibition intends to defend is that color is an essential part of the image and presenting Mexico without color is useless. Mexichrome is a must-see exhibition for fans of Mexican culture and photography.
📍Fine Arts
📅 Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00
2. Photography Archive Museum
Also known as MAF, this museum houses TWO MILLION photographic images from the 20th century, some of which are even on glass plates. If you want to get an idea of how Mexico City has changed since 1900, this is the ideal place to visit. This museum located in the Historic Center has the mission to preserve, research and disseminate photography and is a must for any lover of this art.
34 Republic of Guatemala, Historic Center
📅 Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-17:00
3. Center of the image
Apart from being the home of a large collection of photographs from the second half of the 20th century to the present, it is also the venue of two important exhibitions: the Biennial of Photography and Fotoseptiembre / International Photography Festival of Mexico. It is also important to mention that in his collection there are not only Mexican photographs but from all over Latin America, as well as an impressive library of author’s books, photobooks, exhibition catalogs, manuals, monographs and publications on theory and criticism.
📍Plaza de la Ciudadela 2, Historic Center
📅 Tuesday to Sunday 11:00-17:00
4. Rejas de Chapultepec Open Gallery
Maybe it’s a little too much to list, because it’s already a staple of the Chapu walking experience, but just in case you forgot it exists… it’s in the First Section between the Chivatito, Aquarium, Grutas and Gandhi accesses. The nicest thing of all is that it’s free and it’s nice to walk next to Reforma seeing large-format printed photos.
📅 open 24 hours a day
5. Museum of Modern Art
Don’t miss the opportunity to see MAM’s archives in person at its exhibition: “Portraits for a ritual”. In this exhibition you will find works by the renowned Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, from 5 self-portraits, photographs where her vision is explored, to some of her latest pieces created in 2011.
📍Paseo de la Reforma s/n, Esquina con Gandhi
tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00 (available until August 18)
6. Cuatro Caminos Photomuseum
Last but not least, mention must be made of this institution. You may not be able to visit it physically (they closed it permanently in 2020), but through their social networks and website they continue to promote everything that has to do with contemporary visual culture. So don’t be so quick to dismiss them and follow them to find out the latest in the world of photography.
IG: fm4c