As the Art Design Chicago Intern, I had the amazing opportunity to speak with Cesáreo Moreno, the Visual Arts Director and Chief Curator of the National Museum of Mexican Art, about his experience curating Carlos Cortéz 100 AÑOS and overseeing the Carlos Cortéz Archives. After taking a walk through the exhibition and appreciating the pieces selected for inclusion, I sat down with Cesáreo and asked him about his biggest challenges curating the exhibition, the legacy of Carlos Cortéz, the process of selecting works for the show, and what he wants viewers to take away from the exhibition.
Carlos Cortéz 100 AÑOS is on view until February 18, 2024. This exhibition celebrates the life’s work of Carlos Cortéz Koyokuikatl (1923–2005), one of Chicago’s most important social justice artists working in the 20th century. This exhibition is presented as part of Art Design Chicago and is partially funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kaitlin Rikala
Kaitlin Rikala (they/them) is an art historian and creative writer. Kaitlin completed the 2023 UChicago MAPH Summer Internship with the Terra Foundation where they worked extensively on Terra’s Art Design Chicago initiative. They hold a master’s degree in art history, with an emphasis in curatorial and gender studies, from the University of Chicago.
