ESSAY
text by NICOLAS BOURRIAUD
artwork by GABRIEL OROZCO
translated by CHARLES PENWARDEN
all artwork courtesy of the artist and kurimanzutto, mexico city / new york
For anyone who had the bad fortune not to be born Mexican, there remains an imaginary Mexico. A place we can all conjure up in a few mental images. This country is a brilliant example of the fact that nations exist primarily in the form of fragments, shards, bits of code that intersect with a geography, which may or may not crystallize and enter the global consciousness. If Mexico conveys powerful ideas, it is, above all, a source of inspiration for the future. On a more personal level, it’s an integral part of my culture. And I will explain how in the same way — that is, in fragments.
For a start, there are several Mexicos. The first is immemorial and ends with the…