One Hundred Years After: A Quest for a New Artistic Revolution in Mexico.

Abstract

The thesis focuses on the relationship between politics (political leaders) and art (artists) in the Mexico of the 21st century. Three presidents have been ruling Mexico during this period: Vicente Fox Quesada, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and Enrique Peña Nieto, the three of them responsibles for the bad situation the North American country is living; and the forth, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is a current president of Mexico and who claims to be a change for good, and thus is becoming the hope for millions of Mexicans. Two Mexican artists will be taken as a guide: Francisco Toledo, plastic artist and activist, living in one of the poorest states of Mexico, and Gabriel Orozco, one of the contemporary most known Mexican artist; following their art, lives and their contribution to the development of Mexican society. In addition, and by way of comparison, this paper will analyze the labor of José Vasconcelos Calderón, the first Secretary of Public Education, who was in charge of creating the project of a new vision of the post-revolution Mexico in 1920s, hiring national and international artists to achieve the task. Furthermore, two main characters of that period, whom Vascocelos was working with: Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros are going to be described. Their life and work will be analyzed and will work as as a counterweight of Toledo and Orozco.