Monterrey, Nuevo León, May 19th, 2017.- FEMSA’s Cultural Program, in collaboration with the Alfa Planetarium, paid tribute to the Zacatecan artist Manuel Felguérez by presenting a documentary called “Chaos and Order: Manuel Felguérez and his Abstract Work”, which shows a broad vision of the life and work of the Mexican artist through important voices of the cultural field, such as the writer Elena Poniatowska and the painter and sculptor Vicente Rojo.
The film, directed by Spanish filmmaker Miguel Ángel Tobías, lasts 101 minutes and it takes a deep look into the Zacatecan’s artist’s creative process, historical context and more than 3,000 thousand artworks that he has produced in over six decades.
The homage took place at the Alfa Planetarium, which houses the magnificent mural “The Mirror”, which Felguérez made in 1978 for the inauguration of this emblematic place of Monterrey. The work is made up of two pieces: an oil on canvas of 2 x 4.7m and a mural in polychrome metal and steel of 9.75 x 27.3 m.
“It is an honor to be part of this well-deserved tribute to the master Manuel Felguérez, who has taken Mexican art to other places of the world and raised its standards. We are proud to support and spread initiatives that promote our country’s cultural richness”, said FEMSA’s Cultural Program Manager, Rosa María Rodríguez Garza.
“The Mirror’ by Manuel Felguérez gives personality to the Planetarium’s lobby and adorns it beautifully. Since its beginnings, the place has received more than 14 million visitors, who have appreciated this wonderful work. It is an honor to have a piece of this magnitude, from a renowned artists of the Mexican plastic arts, as part of our heritage” said Alfa Planetarium’s Director, Julia Moreira.
“Being here at the Alfa Planetarium reminiscing on an event that took place almost forty years ago brings me great satisfaction. It is very gratifying to me to see a documentary about my work and career, in which great art personalities and friends participated. I am very grateful with FEMSA’s Cultural Program and with Alfa Planetarium for this recognition and for sharing and spreading Mexican art”, said the artist, Manuel Felguérez, who came to the event with his wife Mercedes Oteyza.
Manuel Felguérez studied at the academy of La Grande Chaumiére in Paris and at the National School of Plastic Arts of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM. He was a professor at UNAM ‘s National School of Plastic Arts and Institute of Aesthetic Research, and at the Ibero-American University as well. He has exhibited individually in major venues in Brussels, Spain, India and Mexico.
He was awarded the Grand Prize of Honor at Sao Paulo’s XII Biennial at Brazil; the International Painting Award at Barranquilla, Colombia; and the National Arts Award, which he got in 1988. In 1975 he obtained a scholarship from the Guggeheim Foundation. He has also made about 45 murals and urban sculptures in Mexico, Colombia, United States and South Korea.
His works are in modern art museums of Mexico City, Bogota and New Delhi; at the University Of Texas Museum; at the Pan American Union in Washington, and at the Soto Museum in Venezuela, among others. FEMSA Collection includes the works “Two Solutions” (1974), “Transparencies of a Circle” (1977) and “Circular Notions” (1979), to name a few. He is a member of the National System of Art Creators, and in 1998, in his native Zacatecas, he inaugurated the Manuel Felguérez Abstract Art Museum.
About FEMSA
FEMSA is a leading company participating in the beverage industry with Coca-Cola FEMSA, the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products in the world; and in the beer industry, through its ownership of the second largest equity stake of Heineken, one of the worlds leading brewers with operations in over 70 countries. FEMSA participates in the retail sector with FEMSA Comercio, which operates various small-format chain stores including OXXO; a Fuels Division operating the OXXO GAS service stations chain; and a Health Division that includes pharmacies and related operations. In addition, through FEMSA Negocios Estratégicos, the company offers logistic services, point-of-sales cooling solutions and plastic solutions for FEMSA’s companies and external customers.
About FEMSA Collection
FEMSA Collection is regarded as one of the most important private collections in Latin America; it has over 1,200 works from diverse artistic expressions such as painting, sculpture, drawing, graphic, photography, and installation, offering a journey through Latin America’s modern and contemporary art, with an emphasis on Mexican Art. FEMSA Collection was born in 1977 as part of the company’s commitment to the development of its employees, their families and their communities. Its works showcase the evolution, plurality, and richness of Latin American art throughout the twentieth century. FEMSA shares its Collection with the most diverse communities in Mexico and the world through an active program of itinerant exhibitions, thus fulfilling its goal of promoting art appreciation while complementing the company’s historical efforts to boost education in its different facets.
About Alfa Planetarium
The Alfa Planetarium, created by Alfa, is a center focused on science and technology, which seeks to promote the visitors’ learning and development through entertaining, experimentation and interaction. Founded on October 11th, 1978, the site has a five story museum, a projection dome, an Astronomical Observatory, the ‘El Universo’ Pavilion an Aviary and a Science Garden, as well as attractive green areas. Since its inauguration it has been visited by 14 million people.