Photo exhibition reveals the spirit of old Mexico

Dubai A rare collection of photographs taken in Mexico by Italian photographer Tina Modotti during the 1920s has been opened to the public at the Dar Ibn Al Haytham for Visual Arts Centre in Al Bastakiya.

The Mexican Ambassador to the UAE, Francisco Alonso, along with officials from the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority inaugurated the exhibition on Tuesday.

Called ‘Tina Modotti: Una Nueva Mirada (A New Look),' the exhibition features 26 photographs depicting post-revolution Mexico in the 1920s. The exhibition, which will run until May 20, is part of a world tour and will next be featured in Turkey before heading for Europe. "The Mexican government promotes [our] culture all over the world. We try to make a lot of cultural activities in order for people to see the Mexican culture even in the emirates," Alonso told Gulf News.

These government-owned photographs of Modotti provide a pictorial critique of the wide gap between the rich and the poor in Mexico at that time. Her subjects ranged from women, the labour class, to symbols of the revolution.

‘About the history'

"She really became impressed about the beauty of Mexico. But not only about the people or nature or colour but also about the history, the moment we live," Alonso said.

"The most important point that she wanted to take in the photograph is the labour people — people who worked and how people survived, how people tried to get a solution to their problems. The spirit of humankind, the spirit of the people, of freedom, collectivity, and support to each other [depicted in the pictures] these are very important," Alonso added.

The exhibition aims to reach out to Mexican people all over the world who had to leave their country for job opportunities, including those who are in the UAE, which Alonso said has doubled in the past two years.

"People emigrate, people go to look for job options and a better life but always they have a lot of passion for Mexico. I remember two years ago we were only 2,000 [in the UAE], we are now 4,000," Alonso said.

Meanwhile, Alonso took the opportunity to announce to the public that they had closed the Mexican Consulate in Dubai and recently opened the Mexican Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Details

What: ‘Tina Modotti: Una Nueva Mirada (A New Look)'

Where: Dar Ibn Al Haytham for Visual Arts Centre in Al Bastakiya (House No 17), Dubai

When: May 8 to 20

Mexican Embassy: Villa 1, Sector 23, Plot 7 A, Bain Al Jessrain, Abu Dhabi

Contact number: 02-558 0088