The 60th anniversary of Mexico City’s Anahuacalli Museum was celebrated recently. This museum, which honors Mexican artist Diego Rivera’s dream, is a sacred place to display his lifelong collection of pre-Hispanic art.
The Anahuacalli Museum has become everything that Rivera envisioned for it. The pyramid structure of the museum reflects the Mexica worldview and houses over 60,000 archeological pieces, including dozens representing ancient deities. Although foreigners visit the museum regularly, its workshops and year-round activities are intended to connect local communities to their historical roots.
“This is Diego Rivera’s dream come true: a space where art, nature, and the public coexist,” said María Teresa Moya, the director of the Anahuacalli Museum. The Mexican muralist was deeply influenced by pre-Hispanic spirituality in his work. He purchased and collected archeological pieces, depicted them on his murals, and designed the Anahuacalli for their display.
Rivera’s fascination with Mexico’s pre-Hispanic worldview is evident in the museum’s architecture. While its main floor represents the underworld, which feels dimly lit and cold, the second and third levels are inspired by the earthly and celestial worlds, respectively, making them appear warmer and flooded with light.
The Anahuacalli Museum’s design reflects a range of Mesoamerican influences, including Mayan, Toltec, and Teotihuacan elements. According to Aldo Lugo, a researcher who leads guided tours of the museum, visitors can appreciate these diverse cultural influences during their visit.
The three-story pyramid was inaugurated in 1964, seven years after Rivera’s death. The name “Anahuacalli” is derived from the Nahuatl language and translates as “house surrounded by water.” According to a recent government publication, the Anahuacalli Museum stands out among Mexican museums for its location within an ecological reserve protecting surrounding flora and fauna.
Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo, initially envisioned the museum as an oasis where they could escape the city. Later, even after their plans had changed, Rivera decided to build the museum, with the couple expressing a desire to be buried in the Anahuacalli’s underworld. The empty niches on the main floor currently await the couple’s eventual interment.
A one-hour visit to the Anahuacalli Museum can be seen as a journey through different rooms and cabinets, each filled with various meanings. From Coatlicue, the mother of the gods, greeting visitors from the ceiling to the myths depicting the battle between her son and daughter explaining the origins of day and night, every aspect of the museum reflects Mexico’s pre-Hispanic understanding of the world.
The main floor is dedicated to rituals and burials, while the second level represents the celestial world. The walls and stairs bear meanings as well, with each corner of the pyramid depicting a natural element and its respective deity. The stairs symbolize the transition between life stages.
To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the museum has planned various activities reflecting Mexico’s artistic and cultural landscape. A gastronomic festival in June and monthly lectures on Rivera’s legacy will run through December, allowing visitors to engage with the community and appreciate the significance of the Anahuacalli Museum.
Contemporary artists are often invited to showcase their work at the museum. Pedro Reyes’ “Atomic amnesia” will be exhibited from September 13th to January 2025, drawing inspiration from one of Rivera’s murals that mysteriously disappeared. Like Rivera, Reyes uses his art as a platform to raise awareness and protest against contemporary issues.
Diego Rivera was known for being controversial in his views, adhering unwaveringly to socialism while also having a strong interest in preserving pre-Hispanic heritage. He wanted the museum to serve as a means of understanding Mexico’s past to better grasp its present and plant seeds for its future. As Moya said, “The Anahuacalli is a temple, one of a kind.”
Source: AP
