La Alegría de Vivir: Art and Necropolitics in Mexico City
The exhibition 'La Alegría de Vivir' at Estudio Anuar Maauad in Mexico City, curated by Anuar Maauad and Roger Muñoz, confronts the normalization of violence through works by Jorge de León, Benjamin Orlow, Miguel Ángel Rojas, Berenice Olmedo, Miguel Ventura, Paul McCarthy, and Teresa Margolles. Highlights include de León's 'Guillotina' (2015), a functional guillotine installed outside Guatemala's National Palace after the 2015 elections; Orlow's 'Ritual City' (2025), a deformed torso sculpture; Maauad's own marquee piece from 2026; Rojas's photograph 'David IV' (2005) of a Colombian landmine victim; Olmedo's 'Bienes muebles o bienes mostrencos' (2017) made from stray dog fur; Ventura's 'Cantos cívicos/NILC' (2008) featuring Nazi officers in toy frames; McCarthy's 'Shit Face' (2002); and Margolles's 'Catafalco' (1997), a plaster torso from a morgue. The show runs through 30 June 2026.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'La Alegría de Vivir' is on view at Estudio Anuar Maauad, Mexico City, through 30 June 2026.
- Co-curated by artist and collector Anuar Maauad and artist Roger Muñoz.
- Jorge de León's 'Guillotina' (2015) is a remake of a functional guillotine installed outside Guatemala's National Palace after the 2015 general elections.
- Benjamin Orlow's 'Ritual City' (2025) is a sculpture of a deformed torso.
- Miguel Ángel Rojas's 'David IV' (2005) is a photograph of a Colombian farmer victim of a quiebrapatas antipersonnel mine.
- Berenice Olmedo's 'Bienes muebles o bienes mostrencos' (2017) uses fur from run-over stray dogs.
- Miguel Ventura's 'Cantos cívicos/NILC' (2008) features portrait photographs of Nazi officers in oversized plastic frames.
- Teresa Margolles's 'Catafalco' (1997) is a plaster torso cast from a dead body from Mexico's morgues.
Entities
Artists
- Anuar Maauad
- Roger Muñoz
- Jorge de León
- Benjamin Orlow
- Miguel Ángel Rojas
- Berenice Olmedo
- Miguel Ventura
- Paul McCarthy
- Teresa Margolles
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
Institutions
- Estudio Anuar Maauad
- Guatemala's National Palace
- ArtReview
Locations
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- Guatemala
- Colombia