Photo National Museum of Anthropology (Facebook)
Among the elements that contribute to preserving and enhancing the cultural wealth of Mexico, museums occupy a prominent place. And there is no doubt that one of the most important, due to the size of its collection and its longevity, is the National Museum of Anthropology.
Consolidated as a cultural symbol of the country and even as an architectural attraction of the capital (the work of Pedro Ramírez Vázquez), the Museum celebrates its 60th anniversary this month and Apple joins the celebration by taking advantage of the possibilities of the iPad.
Through this creation of the Apple brand, six artists created images inspired by the museum and part of its rich collections; Each one of them resembles a postcard, which acquires a retro touch, in tune with the sixtieth anniversary of the National Museum of Anthropology.
Each of the creatives involved in this Apple initiative explains in a text the inspiration for their postcard, which we reproduce below.
Happy 60 years National Museum of Anthropology!
Ivan Mayorquin
“My illustration is inspired by the architecture of Pedro Ramírez Vázquez in the museum, in particular the fountain The Umbrella which is a piece that I love and have always liked, apart from that it adds a couple of characters inspired by two sculptures that are in the museum, which are 2 of the things that I saw the first time I went to this museum that marked my mind and I always wanted to draw them. The MNA is without a doubt an incredible and magical space and this is a tribute to such an important place full of history.”
Jorge Tellaeche
“The Museum of Anthropology is one of my special places in the city. For my work it has been a constant source of inspiration and reminds me of the incredible cultural heritage we have as Mexicans. To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the museum I wanted to do my interpretation of Coatlicue, the mother of all the Gods, she represents birth and death, the complete circle that for me is so important to remember that we have to celebrate every day that we are in this world and live it intensely and consciously.”
Roman de Castro
“The first times I went to the Museum of Anthropology was in primary school, when the teachers forgave me for not having a signed check and still let me get on the bus. At that time I wasn’t very interested in the place, I just thought: ‘It’s a place full of old things.’ It wasn’t until film school when I saw the movie Museo by Alonso Ruizpalacios. Just like me, the main character was from Satellite City. Within 5 minutes of watching it, it became my favorite movie and with it my interest in the museum grew. At the end of the day, I realized that, looking at my city, I also thought: ‘It’s a place full of old things.’”
Citlali Haro
“The idea of creation, as we know it today, begins from knowing that the need to create has been there since the beginning of humanity. Personally, the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City inspires me a lot from the moment you enter and surprise yourself with the architecture and then explore the absurd, technical, objective, subjective and utilitarian that can be the reason for creating, for conceiving an idea. with your hands and leave for history the physical testimony of how humanity seeks ways to leave evidence, parts of oneself, of what makes you personally and culturally.”
Sea Tsunami
“If you asked me about my favorite places in Mexico City, the MNA would be at the top of that list. I have visited it many times at completely different times in my life; on a walk with school, on a romantic date, with my family, alone. And every time it feels like the first. So to celebrate the 60 years of the National Museum of Anthropology and History, designed by the incredible Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, I made this postcard inspired by some of my favorite pieces from the museum and playing with a risograph effect against playful lines and motifs.”
Helena Garza
“This illustration is inspired by 3 different pieces from the archaeological collection of the Museum of Anthropology and History of Mexico City. The composition suggests a type of totem like the Mixtec penates of the Oaxaca region. The textures that I used for each figurine come from photos that I took of my paint palettes and that I worked digitally as a collage to later give them shape, volumes and shadows. That’s how I achieved a natural stone effect. The name is inspired by sandstone quarries, which is a stone that is formed by erosion over thousands of years of Earth’s history.”
In this way, technology and tradition walk hand in hand thanks to the iPad being part of the celebrations of one of the great cultural symbols of the Mexican capital and the entire country.
