Curated by Matthew Affron, Mark A. Castro, Dafne Cruz Porchini, and Renato González Mello

This ambitious exhibition couldn’t be timelier, given that Hispanics of predominantly Mexican origin are now the second-largest ethnic group in the United States, and considering the dismaying signs of cultural intolerance highlighted in the current presidential race. “Paint the Revolution” makes a case for Mexico’s enduring influence in the US and its significant contributions to modernism. Part of the exhibition deals with the encounters between Hispanic and Anglo-American cultures. One section explores early attempts at what is known today as decolonization. Another focuses on the artistic community’s international connections. These approaches—present in paintings, murals, prints, photographs, broadsheets, and books—point to historical frictions between regionalisms and cosmopolitanisms and to their differing visual expressions, which may also elucidate the aesthetic divides expressed in contemporary art and the inherent demand that it be both locally significant and internationally meaningful. Travels to the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, 2017.

— Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy