Love is definitely a many-splendored thing...
In the 17th Century, from 1632 through about 1653, the emperor Shah Jahan built what we now consider one of the wonders of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tradition says that he built this gorgeous building as a mausoleum to his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child. In preparing for this writing, I couldn't help but admire the beauty of this monument
(click here for a great picture of the Taj Mahal in Wikimedia Commons).
In a quite different time and latitude, I felt privileged to visit the
Museo Soumaya a few weeks ago. Built as a memorial to Soumaya Domit, Carlos Slim's late wife, I realized that one might need a full week to truly admire the panoply of works collected by Mr. Slim. I had already heard of his impressive collection, but walking around the museum to be exposed to art ranging several centuries and cultures was quite an experience.
Popular or classic; Mexican, European, Asian; pre-Hispanic, colonial, or modern; sculptures, paintings, and reliefs; sacred and profane, are just a few of the labels that may be applied to the wealth of large and small pieces that are currently open to the public in a Southern neighborhood of Mexico City. Da Vinci, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Dalí, Rivera, Renoir, and Van Gogh are some of the most famous authors whose work can be admired by anyone willing to spend some time in this mausoleum. Along some of these pieces, we find paintings and other works whose authors have been lost, but the products of their talents have not. And we can even find out about several Mexican artists who never reached the status that Rivera or Kahlo have recently been given, but their creativity was diffused throughout the nation, if not the world, albeit at a different scale.
Clearly, my comparing the Soumaya Museum with the Taj Mahal may be considered far fetched in more than way. In addition, I don't consider myself an art critic; even if I worked for a couple of years in a museum (
Monterrey's Centro Cultural Alfa, another so-called vanity or industrial philanthropy museum), my work and my studies have always been centered around computers, businesses and international matters. Still, whenever I travel, I try to give myself an opportunity to visit museums or attend local performances. I would hardly be called a connoisseur, but I am grateful that I have enjoyed collections in Mexico, the US, Canada, Spain, Greece, Egypt, Italy, France, the UK, Thailand, Indonesia, and a few other places that I don't have in the top of my mind right now.
Other individuals, obviously more qualified to review museums published their opinions earlier this year, when this place opened its doors. To illustrate,
the Wall Street Journal offers what I would consider a balanced --if at times snobbish--article, while critics writing for
the LA Times did not hide their disappointment. For you, who might not have a trip to Mexico City scheduled in the short time, I would recommend visiting
the Soumaya museum's website, and decide for yourself whether a day (or more!) is worth your time.
I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I am not positive that my 14-year old son and my 12-year old daughter were as impressed as I was. But I definitely hope that they will now be able to associate some of these works with the names that they might read about in their history or art classes. I also hope that one day, they will be able to recognize in this museum, one of the most notorious philanthropic actions of a man who is both admired and criticized in their lifetimes: Carlos Slim has been identified as the richest man in the world for a few years now, and he has achieved this status in an economy that is characterized by its lesser development and blatant, if not painful inequalities.
This might be one of the largest gifts he has offered to the city that has given him fame and fortune. Few individuals will ever have the ability to give free access to anyone with time and interest to a collection this massive, this diverse, this impressive. Carlos Slim has done it --and I hope this is not the last time we learn about ways in which he gives back to a country that cannot afford to focus exclusively on basic needs or on
the success of its teenage (U-17 or under 17) football players.
To learn more:
I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I am not positive that my 14-year old son and my 12-year old daughter were as impressed as I was. But I definitely hope that they will now be able to associate some of these works with the names that they might read about in their history or art classes. I also hope that one day, they will be able to recognize in this museum, one of the most notorious philanthropic actions of a man who is both admired and criticized in their lifetimes: Carlos Slim has been identified as the richest man in the world for a few years now, and he has achieved this status in an economy that is characterized by its lesser development and blatant, if not painful inequalities. 
This might be one of the largest gifts he has offered to the city that has given him fame and fortune. Few individuals will ever have the ability to give free access to anyone with time and interest to a collection this massive, this diverse, this impressive. Carlos Slim has done it --and I hope this is not the last time we learn about ways in which he gives back to a country that cannot afford to focus exclusively on basic needs or on the success of its teenage (U-17 or under 17) football players.
To learn more: 
No comments:
Post a Comment