Madrid
Completed

Chavis Mármol's "Neotameme": An Exhibition Exploring Porters Across History at Juan March Institute

Experience performance art, engravings, and drawings that bridge ancient Mesoamerican traditions with contemporary urban life.

Delve into "Chavis Mármol. Neotameme" at the Juan March Institute, a profound exhibition examining the enduring legacy of porters from Mesoamerican civilizations to modern urban life. Through captivating performance art, intricate engravings, and evocative drawings, Mármol invites visitors to consider overlooked contributions to history and contemporary society.

About Chavis Mármol. Neotameme at Juan March Institute in Madrid

Read curatorial context and practical visitor information for Chavis Mármol. Neotameme at Juan March Institute in Madrid

Exhibition summary

This exhibition by Mexican artist Chavis Mármol reinterprets the role of historical Mesoamerican 'tamemes' (porters) and contemporary delivery workers through a performance art piece featuring a mochila resembling a colossal Olmec head. The project includes related engravings and drawings that connect past and present.

Curatorial context

The exhibition 'Neotameme' by Mexican artist Chavis Mármol (born 1982) centers on a performance where the artist acts as a city messenger, delivering orders with a backpack designed to look like a colossal Olmec head. This documentation of the performance, which aims to evoke astonishment and strangeness, is complemented by a series of engravings and drawings. Mármol delves into the historical significance of 'tamemes,' the porters who were crucial to Mesoamerican civilizations. Despite their vital role in transporting goods and people and compensating for the lack of pack animals, their contributions have often been overlooked. In an ironic and critical interpretation, Mármol recovers the memory of these historical tamemes and highlights how their legacy has been obscured and absorbed throughout Mexican history. The work also seeks to give visibility to contemporary delivery workers, the 'neo tamemes,' who are now essential to the urban fabric. The artist draws a parallel with the enigmatic Olmec civilization, the earliest in Mesoamerica. Through his drawings and engravings, Mármol employs the imagery of the colossal Olmec heads to construct a narrative that links the history of these contemporary tamemes with their ancient ancestors, weaving a unique story at the intersection of past and present. 'Chavis Mármol: Neotameme' is presented as a complementary exhibition to 'Antes de América: fuentes originarias en la cultura moderna' in Madrid.

Admission and ticket notes

Information regarding admission and ticketing is not explicitly detailed on this page, but the exhibition is presented by the Fundación Juan March, which typically requires museum entry or has specific ticketing policies for special exhibitions. Visitors are advised to check official channels for current details.

Chavis Mármol. Neotameme key exhibition facts

Review exhibition status, schedule, venue context, and attribution details for Chavis Mármol. Neotameme at Juan March Institute in Madrid

Venue
Juan March Institute
Current status
Completed
Exhibition schedule
Nov 14, 2023 – Mar 23, 2024
Artist line / attribution
Chavis Mármol (born 1982) is a Mexican artist whose work reinterprets historical and contemporary roles of porters and messengers.
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