Mexican activists fight to prevent Gelman Santander Collection from touring Europe

A group of Mexican activists is battling to stop the Gelman Santander Collection, which includes paintings by Frida Kahlo, from leaving the country for a European tour. The collection, assembled by the late Jacques Gelman and his wife Natasha, comprises over 2,000 works of Mexican modern art, including pieces by Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. The activists argue that the tour risks damaging the artworks and depriving Mexico of its cultural heritage. They have launched a legal challenge and a public campaign to halt the export. The collection is currently housed at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO). The tour is scheduled to begin in 2025 at the Musée du Luxembourg in Paris, followed by stops in other European cities. The Gelman family, which owns the collection, says the tour will promote Mexican culture abroad. The case has sparked a broader debate about the movement of cultural property and national patrimony.