The exhibition brings together selected works from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection and contemporary artists living and working in Mexico. The show marks the launch of a new series of dialogue-driven, international exhibitions of the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection designed to engage with local artistic practices. Through a dynamic and modular approach, this initiative aims to reach a broad international audience while fostering collaborations between Mercedes-Benz employees, different communities as well as diverse artistic networks in key international locations—Mexico City being the first.
BE-LONGING explores the theme of identity, a subject deeply embedded in contemporary artistic discourse and continuously negotiated within society at large. Featuring works by 32 international artists, the exhibition is structured around four interwoven conceptual axes approaching culturally relevant themes such as bodies, origins, territories and memories. These thematic strands allow for multiple interpretations and perspectives on identity emphasising the concepts of fluidity, dialogue, and the interplay between different approaches.
BE-LONGING represent the collaborative effort between the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection and local art communities. By juxtaposing works from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection with contemporary Mexican and international practices, the exhibition creates a space for dialogue, reflection, and critical engagement with the evolving nature of identity in contemporary society.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a public programme with artist talks, guided tours, panel discussions and screenings, some of them in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut in Mexico City, who will be partly hosting the programme in their premises.
Curated by Polina Stroganova for the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection.
Artists: Emma Adler, Jane Alexander, Farah Al Qasimi, Francis Alÿs, Leonor Antunes, Pia Camil, Nicole Chaput, Clément Cogitore, Cao Fei, David Goldblatt, Wu Hao, Isaac Julien, Alicja Kwade, Enrique López Llamas, Robert Mapplethorpe, Jorge Méndez Blake, Zanele Muholi, Ann-Kathrin Müller, Berenice Olmedo, Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, Chantal Peñalosa Fong, Elodie Pong, Naomi Rincón Gallardo, Barbara Sánchez-Kane, Lerato Shadi, Dayanita Singh, Pamela Singh, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Martin Soto Climent, Tercerunquinto, Frieda Toranzo Jaeger, Theresa Weber
BE-LONGING is a cooperation project between the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection and:
Mercedes-Benz Mexico is responsible for sales, marketing and customer services for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and vans for the Mexican market and since 2020, regional hub for 32 Latin American markets. Mercedes-Benz Mexico has a longstanding relationship with the local art and culture environment. (Sobre nosotros | Mercedes-Benz)
Polina Stroganova, (1982, Moscow) is an internationally renown independent curator, art consultant and lecturer based in Mexico City.
C Cúbica Arquitectos was founded 35 years ago by Andrea Cesarman, Emilio Cabrero, and Marco Coello, who shared a common vision for architecture, design, and culture, with a deep love for Mexico. They have created key platforms such as Design Week Mexico, Mexico Territorio Creativo, and the cultural centre Espacio CDMX, fostering innovation, sustainability, and the connection between design and architecture.