Nearly 80 Mexican Cultural Workers Denounce Pedro Reyes Sculpture at LACMA

Almost 80 critics, artists, and scholars from Mexico have come together to sign an open letter opposing Pedro Reyes's sculpture 'Tlali' at the newly constructed Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). This massive head, made of lava stone and revealed in April 2026, recalls a contentious 2021 public commission by Reyes that was canceled by the Mexico City government following protests from feminist and Indigenous groups. Among the signatories are writers Maria Minera and Gardi Emmelhainz, artists Carmen Argote, Laureana Toledo, and Lorena Wolffer, and curator Cuauhtémoc Medina. They claim that LACMA has overlooked prior controversies and is endorsing a piece they view as a colonial representation. The letter appeared in Spanish on April 23 on the art platform Cubo Blanco. LACMA contended that the sculpture's intent and meaning differ significantly from the earlier project, highlighting that Reyes altered the facial features and updated the title from 'Tlalli' to 'Tlali.' Critics maintain that the work still embodies the essence of representing an Indigenous Mexican woman. Reyes has not issued a response. The 2021 commission aimed to replace a statue of Christopher Columbus on Paseo de la Reforma; after public outcry, former mayor Claudia Sheinbaum passed the selection to an independent committee. Subsequently, feminist activists erected a guerrilla monument to honor femicide victims at the site.