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Maybe you’ve never thought of Mexico City as a world art hub, but it is. And one of its museums, the Museo Ex-Teresa Arte Actual (Museum of Contemporary Art), is definitely proof of that.
Located in the heart of Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City’s Historical District, this convent-turned-museum is the ultimate repository of modern artistic expression. Recognized by Mexico’s ministry of culture and by the National Institute of Fine Arts, this baroque-style museum—which is only five minutes’ walk from the Plaza de la Constitución–has become one of Latin America’s best showcases of diverse and experimental forms of art. Unlike the traditional visage of a museum with hallways of hung paintings, Museo Ex-Teresa is a mecca for all forms of artistic media including sound art, photography, design, fashion, film production, and various performance venues. It has been in existence since 1993, when the centuries-old convent was renovated.
Non-Conventional Expressions
For the last three decades, Ex-Teresa has been an epicenter of contemporary art venues, including installation art (the use of three-dimensional space and everyday items to create an observer-environment context), non-objectual art (a form of abstraction), and process art (a type of representation which focuses on the creation of the art rather than a finished product). A center for such cutting-edge work, Ex-Teresa has been regarded as an “art lab” for all new and experimental types of art. In addition to its exhibits, the museum provides a number of services, including visitor guides, special presentations by artists, concerts, and more.
Collection of Culture
One of Ex-Teresa’s claims to fame is its Documentation Center, an archive of audiovisual and photographic exhibits containing artwork collected since the museum’s inception. And, as the home of the Muestra Internacional de Performance, Ex-Teresa is widely considered a cultural storehouse where the contemporary meets the traditional, a place that highlights the universal language of art among civilizations all over the world. And for those tourists who favor archeological histories, the museum itself is adjacent to the grounds of the Templo Mayor, ruins of the ancient Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlon.
Your one-day visit to Ex-Teresa is made convenient by its proximity to the Orchid House Polanco, a Boutique hotel in Mexico City. This vintage, luxury hotel is only a few minutes’ taxi ride away from the museum, the historic district, city center, and endless shopping opportunities. It is a win-win plan for enjoying your stay in the heart of Mexico’s largest metropolitan area! Make your travel plans today!
