Elizabeth Mistry

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New museum planned for ancient Mayan complex Chichén Itzá, Mexico’s most visited archeological site

With first leg of controversial $20bn Maya Train project set to begin operation, authorities have stepped up excavation and development of archaeological destinations

Archaeologists discover mural of Aztec god of alcohol in Mexican convent

Archaeologists believe the pre-Columbian wall drawing of a god wearing a feathered headdress likely depicts Tepoztēcatl, the god of pulque

Mediafeature

New documentary sheds light on artist Eric Ravilious, a romantic visionary lost in war

Ravilious was the first artist to be killed on active service during the Second World War

Mexiconews

Future of one of Mexico’s most important collections uncertain as parent company put up for sale

La Colección Banamex, which numbers more than 6,000 works including pieces by Frida Kahlo and Clemente Orozco, belongs to a bank that Citigroup is offloading

Ceramicsfeature

New film starring Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor puts trailblazing Art Deco designer and craftswoman Clarice Cliff back in the spotlight

Best known for her ceramic pieces characterised by bold outlines and a vivid colour palette, Cliff was initially derided by the men who dominated her industry

Mexiconews

Mexican special crime unit to hunt down illegally trafficked artworks

Police unit dedicated to repatriation of looted art and antiquities to be founded, Mexico president says

Mexico recovers stolen 16th-century manuscripts

The historic works were taken from the National Archives over the years in what its new director calls a “wholesale pillaging”

German auction of Latin American antiquities goes ahead, but many works fail to sell

Ambassadors from eight countries—Mexico, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama and Peru—whose heritage was included in the sale launched a united front against it, with calls for Unesco to intervene

Mexiconews

Mexico attempts to halt German auction of Pre-Colombian artefacts

More than 70 works designated as national heritage are due to be sold in Munich on 21 September

Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul vies for Guinness World Record with concert by 97-year-old drummer this weekend

Legendary musician Tino Contreras says he looks forward to setting up his drum kit among pre-Colombian sculptures in the patio garden for live-streamed event

Ernesto Mallard, resolute leader of Mexican Op-Art, has died, aged 89

After causing a sensation early in his career in the 1960s, the sculptor and visual artist retreated from the gallery scene, and was only recently re-acknowledged

Vicente Rojo, Renaissance man of 20th-century Mexican culture, has died, aged 89

The painter, sculpture and graphic designer helped define the Modern style for a generation

Fire destroys the ‘Sistine Chapel of the Purépecha Plateau’ in Mexico

Art historian who knew the building best says the Indigenous community who worshipped in the unique 16th-century church should decide what will replace it

Mexico's culture crisis: pandemic leads to budget cuts that leave many workers unpaid while vanity projects receive millions

The ministry of culture has lost 75% of its funding, threatening the long-term survival of the country’s publicly funded museums and heritage sites

Mexico City’s planned cultural complex in Chapultepec Park loses architect

While local activists have long resisted the $440m project, especially at a time when the country’s existing museums are in crisis, the city’s governor recently rejected a design for ambitious pedestrian bridge that did not meet technical criteria

Oaxaca museum in Mexico is locked in standoff with private foundation

Director spends night inside as the institution’s funders fail to pay salaries

Manuel Felguérez, Mexican abstract master, has died, aged 91

The artist broke with tradition in the post-war years and was an early pioneer of film and digital art,

Francisco Toledo, renowned Mexican artist and activist, has died, aged 79

Known for powerful imagery rooted in his native Oaxaca, he was also a cultural benefactor

Crime news

Murdered muralist Héctor Domínguez honoured in Mexico

Suspicion aired that the 27-year-old artist may have been killed, along with his father and brother, because of his environmental activism