The National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature of Mexico informed that Mercedes Iturbe, director of the Carrillo Gil Art Museum died last night in her home in Cuernavaca, Morelos.
The Institute highlighted her work promoting art both in Mexico and abroad. Until just a few months ago, she was the director of the Museum of Palacio de Bellas Artes. She always distinguished herself for opening up important spaces to Mexican and foreign artists that have left a mark in contemporary art.
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Mercedes Iturbe was a well known art historian and promoter that devoted her life to coordinating major cultural events dedicated to artists such as Luis Buñuel and Alejo Carpentier. She also founded the Juan Rulfo literary prize in France in 1984.
She was born in Mexico City and got a psychology degree in UNAM. She obtained a MA in Art History in the Sorbonne 1 University in Paris, France.
She was also a journalist and television host, she published numerous articles in many magazines and newspapers both in Mexico and abroad. She also published several essays for painting, sculpture and photography catalogues. She also wrote the book Espiritus Complices (Accomplice Spirits) published in 1999.
She was also the director of Salon de la Plastica Mexicana (The Mexican Visual Arts Hall), director of cultural promotion of the Treasury Secretariat and Cultural Counselor of the Mexican Delegation in UNESCO. She also was the director of the Mexican Cultural Center in Paris, France, the Festival Internacional Cervantino and deputy commissar of Culture of Mexico in the 2000 Hanover Universal Exposition in Germany. In 1990 she received the Knight’s degree for Arts and literature of the French government.
She also organized major exhibitions for artists such as Juan Rulfo, Luis Barragán, José Guadalupe Posada, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Josef Koudelka, Alberto Gironella, Frida Kalho, Jean Michel Basquiat, Juan Soriano, Juan García Ponce and Gabriel Orozco, among many others.
April,
2007
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