Damián Ortega: Pico y elote (Corn and Industry)

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO) opened 'Pico y Elote,' a comprehensive retrospective that highlights the career of Mexican artist Damián Ortega. This exhibition, marking the first review of his career in Mexico and Latin America, brings together three decades of work that reflect the artist's broad vision.
The exhibition aims to reflect the existing dialogue in Damián Ortega's work with creating a national culture. The curator, José Esparza Chong Cuy, divided the show into three blocks: Cosechar (Harvesting), Ensamblar (Assembling), and Colapsar (Collapsing). From an alternate narrative to the Mayan myth of creation, where corn is the origin of humanity, the exhibition progresses to the globalized post-industrial era and the chaos resulting from the search for progress.
The first block, Cosechar, immerses visitors in the world of agriculture as the backbone of the global economy. Ortega uses corn as a symbol of connection to the cultural roots of Mesoamerica and the Mexican identity. Ensamblar explores Ortega's interests in tools and transforming prefabricated objects into readymades. The third block, Colapsar, brings contemporary concerns to the forefront. Ortega examines environmental catastrophes, labor precariousness, and the outsourcing of productive processes.