| Palace of Fine Arts | |
|---|---|
Palacio de Bellas Artes | |
 Front view of the Palacio de Bellas Artes | |
 Interactive map of the Palace of Fine Arts area | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Art Nouveau /Neoclassical (exterior) Art Deco (interior) |
| Location | Centro,Cuauhtémoc,Mexico City, Mexico |
| Coordinates | 19°26′07″N99°08′29″W / 19.4353°N 99.1414°W /19.4353; -99.1414 |
| Construction started | 1 October 1904 |
| Inaugurated | 1934 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Adamo Boari, Federico Mariscal,Géza Maróti,Agustí Querol Subirats,Edgar Brandt among others[1] |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 1,590 |
ThePalacio de Bellas Artes (Palace ofFine Arts) is a prominent cultural center inMexico City. It hosts performing arts events, literature events and plastic arts galleries and exhibitions (including important permanentMexican murals). "Bellas Artes" for short, has been called the "art cathedral of Mexico", and is located on the western side of thehistoric center of Mexico City which is close to theAlameda Central park.
Bellas Artes replaced the originalNational Theater, built in the late 19th century. The latter was demolished as part of urban redesign in Mexico City, and a more opulent building was planned to celebrate the centennial of theMexican War of Independence in 1910. The initial design and construction was undertaken by Italian architectAdamo Boari in 1904, but complications arising from the soft subsoil and the political problem both before and during theMexican Revolution, hindered then stopped construction completely by 1913. Construction resumed in 1932 under Mexican architectFederico Mariscal [es] and was completed in 1934. It was then inaugurated on 29 November 1934.
The exterior of the building is primarilyArt Nouveau andNeoclassical and the interior is primarilyArt Deco. The building is best known for itsmurals byGonzález Camarena,Diego Rivera,Siqueiros and others, as well as the many exhibitions and theatrical performances it hosts, including theBallet Folklórico de México.[2]
The oldest known structure on the site was the Convent of Santa Isabel, whose church was built in 1680. However, significantMexica finds, such as a sacrificial altar in the shape of aplumed snake have been found here. The convent area suffered frequent drought during the early canal period and development here grew quickly.
In spite of this, the convent remained until it was forcibly closed in the 1860s by theReform Laws. It was replaced by a textile mill and lower-class housing.[2]
A section of this housing, on Santa Isabel Alley, was torn down and replaced by the National Theater in the latter 19th century. During the late 19th century and very early 20th, this theatre was the site of most of Mexico City's high culture, presenting events such as theatre,operettas, Viennese dance and more.
It was then decided to replace this building with a more opulent one for the upcoming Centennial of Mexican Independence celebrations in 1910. The old theatre was demolished in 1901, and the new theatre would be called the Gran Teatro de Ópera. The work was awarded to Italian architect Adamo Boari, who favoredneoclassical and art nouveau styles and who is responsible for thePalacio del Correo which is across the street.[2][3] Adamo Boari promised in October 1904 to build a grand metallic structure, which at that time only existed in the United States, but not to this size. The first stone of the building was placed byPorfirio Díaz in 1904.[4] Despite the 1910 deadline, by 1913, the building was hardly begun with only a basic shell. One reason for this is that the project became more complicated than anticipated as the heavy building sank into the soft spongy subsoil. The other reason was the political and economic instability that would lead to the Mexican Revolution. Full hostilities suspended construction of the palace completely and Adamo Boari returned to Italy.[2][3]
The project would sit unfinished for about twenty years. In 1932, construction resumed under Mexican architectFederico Mariscal [es]. Mariscal completed the interior but updated it from Boari's plans to the more modern Art Deco style. The building was completely finished in 1934,[2][3] and was inaugurated on 29 November of that year.[4] The inaugural work presented in the theatre was "La Verdad Sospechosa" byJuan Ruiz de Alarcón in 1934.[5] In 1946, the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Institute of the Fine Arts) was created as a government agency to promote the arts and was initially housed at the Museo Nacional de Artes Plásticas, the Museo del Libro and other places. It is now at the Palacio.[2]
In this theatre,Maria Callas debuted in the operaNorma in 1950.[5]
Since its initial construction, very little has been updated or modified. However, intensive renovation efforts were begun in 2009 for the upcoming 2010 celebrations.[4] Much of the equipment and machinery is original from the early 20th century. Much of the technological equipment is being updated, especially in the theatre which needs computerized lights, sound systems and other improvements. Other work will improve the acoustics.[6] Upgrades to the theatre will allow for multimedia shows which were not available before.[7] The main hall has had no renovation or upgrade work since it opened in 1934.[6] Renovations here will lessen the number of people the hall can accommodate but should make the area more comfortable.[7]
The palace has a mixture of a number of architectural styles; however, it is principallyArt Nouveau andArt Deco.[2] Art Nouveau dominates the exterior, which was done by Adamo Boari, and the inside is dominated by Art Deco, which was completed by Federico Mariscal. Since construction began in 1904, the theater (which opened in 1934) has sunk some four meters into the soft soil of Mexico City.[8]
The main facade faces Avenida Juárez. The building uses beigemarble fromYautepec, Morelos for the lower structure, while white marbles fromBuenavista de Cuéllar, Guerrero andCarrara, Italy were used for the facades.[9] In the interior of the portal are sculptures by ItalianLeonardo Bistolfi. It consists of "Harmony", surrounded by "Pain", "Rage", "Happiness", "Peace" and "Love". Another portion of the facade contains cherubs and sculptures representing music and inspiration.[2] On the plaza front of the building, designed by Boari, there are fourPegasus sculptures which were made by SpaniardAgustí Querol Subirats. These had been in the Zocalo before being brought here.[2] The roof covering the center of the building is made of crystal designed by HungarianGéza Maróti and depicts themuses withApollo.[4] One aspect of the Palace which has since disappeared is the "Pergola", which was located in the Alameda. It was constructed to house pictorial exhibitions for the 1910 celebrations, but it was demolished in 1973.[2]
The interior is divided into three sections: the main hall with adjoining smaller exhibition halls, the theatre and the offices of the Insituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. The main hall is covered by the Marotti glass and iron roof. It and the balconies of all three upper floors can be seen from the ground floor below.[2] In areas of the main hall, pre-Hispanic motifs done in Art Deco style, such as serpents’ heads on window arches andMayaChaac masks on the vertical light panels distinguish this interior from its contemporaries.[3] The smaller exhibition halls are located on the first and second floors. The first floor is decorated with crystal lamps, created by Edgar Brandt and hold murals byRufino Tamayo. The Adamo Boari and Manuel M. Ponce halls hold music and literature events. And the National and International halls are for exhibitions. The second floor has smaller exhibition halls as well as murals byJosé Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera,Jorge González Camarena,Roberto Montenegro andManuel Rodríguez Lozano. The third floor is occupied by the Museum of Architecture. The ironwork was designed in Italy by Alessandro Mazzucotelli and in Mexico by Luis Romero Soto.[2]
At the entrance of the theatre, there aremascarons in bronze with depictions ofTlaloc, and Chaac, the Aztec and Maya deities of water, which along with the rest were designed by Gianette Fiorenzo. On the arch over the stage there are representations of various mythological personas such as the Muses with Apollo. This was constructed in Hungary in the workshops ofGéza Maróti.[2] However, the most impacting aspect is the stage "curtain" which is a stained glass foldable panel created out of nearly a million pieces of iridescent colored glass byTiffany's in New York.[8] This stage curtain is the only one of its type in any opera house in the world and weighs 24 tons.[4] The design of the curtain has the volcanosPopocatépetl andIztaccíhuatl in the center. Around them is a Mexican landscape surrounded by images of sculptures fromYautepec andOaxaca. This design was inspired by work done by artistGerardo Murillo (Dr. Atl).[2][8] The theatre has a capacity of 1,590.[10]
The Palace has been the scene of some of the most notable events in music, dance, theatre, opera and literature and has hosted important exhibitions of painting, sculpture and photography.[citation needed] It has hosted some of the biggest names from both Mexico and abroad. It has hosted poetry events as well as those related to popular culture.[11] Artists and companies are from all parts of Mexico and abroad.[12] It has been called the "Cathedral ofArt in Mexico".[11] It was declared an artistic monument in 1987 byUNESCO. The building is administered by the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes of the federal government.[4] The palace receive on average 10,000 visitors each week.[13]
Two of the best-known groups which regularly perform here are the Ballet Folklórico de México Compania Nacional de Opera de Bellas Artes and the National Symphonic Orchestra.[14] The first performs in the theatre twice a week and is a spectacle of pre and post Hispanic dance of Mexico. A typical program includes Aztec ritual dances, agricultural dances fromJalisco, a fiesta inVeracruz, a wedding celebration — all accompanies bymariachis,marimba players and singers.[3][4] Regular annual events include the Premio Quorum for Mexican designers in graphic and industrial materials[15] and thePremios Ariel for Mexican films.[16]
Numerous individual events have been held here. These include several exhibitions ofFrida Kahlo's work,[17][18] and a number of appearances byLuciano Pavarotti.[19] In 1987, Bellas Artes hosted a legendary performance ofJesusa Rodríguez'sDonna Giovanni, an adaptation of Mozart's opera with a female cast.[20] Other appearances have been made by Mexican baritone Jorge Lagunes (2002)[21] and Catalan guitaristJoan Manuel Serrat (2003).[22] Events that have been held here include "ABCDF Palabras de Ciudad" (2002) showing life in popular housing in photographs and video, "Bordados del Mexico Antiguo" (Embroidery of Old Mexico) showing processes, history and design,[15] Rem Koolhaas Premio Pritzker 2000" conference[23] and "Exchanging Views: Visions of Latin America" which was an exhibit from the collection of Patricia Phelps de Cisneros comprising 148 works by 72 artists from across Latin America in 2006.[24]
Occasionally, the plaza in front of the Palace is the scene of protests such as those against theIraq War in 2003[25] and againstbullfighting in 2010.[26]
The Palacio de Bellas Artes has also been a place for honoring and mourning important figures from the world of arts and culture. These people were recognized with a special tribute because of their work and contributions to their fields. In total, 65 people have received this kind of farewell at the Palace. The first was the muralistJosé Clemente Orozco in 1949. Here are some of the individuals who were honored with their body present at the site:[27]
The floors between the ground floor and the uppermost floor are dominated by a number of murals painted by most of the famous names ofMexican muralism.[8]
On the 2nd floor are two early-1950s works by Rufino Tamayo: México de Hoy (Mexico Today) and Nacimiento de la Nacionalidad (Birth of Nationality), a symbolic depiction of the creation of themestizo (person of mixed indigenous and Spanish ancestry) identity.[3]
At the west end of the 3rd floor is Diego Rivera's El hombre controlador del universo (Man, controller of the universe- known asMan at the Crossroads), originally commissioned for New York'sRockefeller Center in 1933. The mural depicts a variety of technological and societal themes (such as the discoveries made possible by microscopes and telescopes) and was controversial for its inclusion ofLenin and a SovietMay Day parade. TheRockefellers were not happy with the painting and the incomplete work was eventually destroyed and painted over. Rivera recreated it here in 1934.[3][8] On the north side of the third floor are David Alfaro Siqueiros' three-part La Nueva Democracia (New Democracy) and Rivera's four-part Carnaval de la Vida Mexicana (Carnival of Mexican Life); to the east is José Clemente Orozco's La Katharsis (Catharsis), depicting the conflict between humankind's 'social' and 'natural' aspects.[3]
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The Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes (Museum of the Palace of Fine Arts) is the organization that takes care of the permanent murals and other artwork in the building as well as arrange temporary exhibits. These exhibits cover a wide range of media and feature Mexican and international artists, focusing on classic and contemporary artists.[31]
The Museo Nacional de Arquitectura (Museum of Architecture) occupies the top floor of the building, covered by the glass and iron roof. It contains exhibitions from renowned Mexican architects including models, designs and photographs of major works. The museum also arranges temporary exhibitions of its collections in other facilities to expose the Mexican public to the country's rich architectural heritage. Some of the major architects featured at the museum include Jaime Ortiz Monasterio, Carlos Mijares Bracho, Adamo Boari andLuis Barragán.[32] The museum is divided into four sections called "Arquitectura-contrastes: Jaime Ortiz Monasterio y Carlos Mijares Bracho", "Corpus Urbanístico de la Ciudad de México", "Teatro Nacional de México (Plano original)" and "Teatro Nacional de México."[33] There are also temporary exhibits on contemporary architecture.[3]
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![Palacio de Bellas Artes in 1915, under construction[34]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aPalacio_de_Bellas_Artes%2c_Mexico_City%2c_1915.jpg)
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