Emmanuelle Bayart - Subway of Mexico

IN THE LABYRINTH OF THE SUBWAY, MEXICO, 2008
Lambda prints 72 x 60cm and 72,5 x 87 cm (Ode to the subway of Mexico City) mounted on aluminium

My first meeting with the Mexican mural and the pre-Colombian culture took place in the subway of Mexico City, more exactly in the station named Tacubaya (signifying : there where waters join). With the time, I understood more and more the fundamentally mixed character of the Mexican nation and the reasons and the demands which led this country to its current state. Although the presence of cultural elements (frescoes, archaeological reproductions) in the subway underly the promotional and educational intentions, they also reflect the attachment of the Mexicans in their personal archaeology and their awareness of being a mixed nation. Seen from the perspective of our globalized world, the expressions of their peculiarity becomes necessary for their survival as individuals and as a nation. Starting from there, I decided to investigate the various facets of the historic representation in the meanders of this underground labyrinth.