Toronto says ¡Adiós! to “¡Viva México! Clothing & Culture”

TORONTO — Charming more than 130,000 visitors since its May 2015 opening, ¡Viva México! Clothing & Culture came to an espectacular end at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), on Monday, May 23, 2016.

On display in the Museum’s Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles & Costume, the exhibition was enhanced throughout its presentation by lively demonstrations from talented, Mexico-based artists (whose creations are included in the exhibition), as well as a stunning variety of inspiring programming. As ¡Viva México! came to a close, the ROM said ¡Adiós! to the exhibition in a suitably vibrant fashion.

On Saturday, April 16, an all-day symposium brought together internationally renowned experts to address the rich and varied visual and material culture of Mexico—both past and present.

Viva México Clothing & Culture_1 — Viva México! Clothing & Culture

Speakers included the UK-based guest curator of ¡Viva México!, Chloë Sayer, who discussed the spiritual and ceremonial aspects of textiles, dance-masks, and other popular art forms. She was joined by eminent artist Humberto Spindola; Wellesley College Senior Lecturer/author James Oles; former director of Oaxaca’s Textile Museum Ana Paula Fuentes; anthropologist Marta Turok; and Amherst College’s Rick López; at the ROM’s Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre.

The exhibition’s companion book, Mexico: Clothing & Culture by Chloë Sayer, with contributions by exhibition co-curator Dr. Alexandra Palmer, the ROM’s Nora E. Vaughan Fashion Costume Senior Curator, is available online.

¡Viva México! Clothing & Culture featured approximately 150 pieces created in Mexico between the 18th and 21st centuries. It marked the first-ever presentation of the ROM’s wide-ranging collection, which spans 300 years and reflects Mexico’s indigenous and colonial past.

Presented by:

This exhibition was generously supported by:

Burnham Brett Endowment for Textiles and Costume
Gwendolyn Pritchard Fraser Fund
Veronika Gervers Memorial Research Fund
Kircheis Family Endowment Fund