Dolores Olmedo Patino Museo - Los Ofrendas

The Day of the Dead is a popular time of year for families to honor and celebrate departed ancestors and Dolores Olmedo was known for her "ofrendas" (offerings) dedicated to the deceased.  Every year there is a new theme and a portion of the museum (located at the entrance, next to the gift shop) is dedicated to these displays of ofrendas.
This last year, 2019, the ofrendas were dedicated to architects and engineers whose talents have enhanced the landscape of Mexico City.

The Cathedral Metropolitana in the main zocalo, 

 one of the greatest religious buildings in Latin America. 

The exhibition also included the Metro, the great mass transit system that moves the population from one place to the other.

I don't know if many spotted this, but the train is taking passengers to Mictlan!  The ancient Xolos were used to protect and guide the deceased spirit through the perils of Mictlan.  I don't think I will be taking this particular train.

I love that the ceiling is row after row of the papel picados.

A section of Diego Rivera's fifty foot mural, "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon" in Alameda Park, Mexico City's first city park that was built on the grounds of an ancient Aztec marketplace.

The well dressed gentleman with the black suit and derby hat is Jose Guadalupe Posada, an illustrator and engraver who created the  La Calavera Catrina (standing next to him).  The Catrina, a conceited female dandy, mocks the European-influenced ruling, upper class during the reign of Porfirio Diaz.  Posada's narrative style was hugely influenced Diego Rivera.  The Catrina is an allusion to the Aztec Earth Mother, Coatlicue.  The plumed serpent boa around her neck is symbolic of her son Quertzalcoatl.  Her belt buckle is the Aztec astrological sign of Ollin, symbolizing perpetual motion.  Frida Kahlo is in her traditional Mexican dress.  In her left hand she holds the Yin-Yang symbol of duality and the other rests protectively on the shoulder of a young Diego Rivera.

The World Trade Center designed by engineer Guillermo Rossell de la Lama.

The World Trade Center Tower elevators have a seismic detector that detects any movement of earth and therefore automatically stops the elevator at the nearest stop to allow passengers to get off.

And one of my all time favorite buildings in Mexico City, the Museum of Anthropology by the "father of Mexican Architecture", Pedro Ramirez Vasquez.

The museum’s large, central patio is almost covered by a 275 foot canopy which sits on a 36 foot pillar, the largest concrete structure in the world supported by a single pillar.   This handsome museum only took 19 months to build.

Palacio de los Deportes - Sports Palace

Built between October 15, 1966 and September, 1968, it is circular in design with a square-patterned dome spanning 380 feet and enclosing an area of 6.7 acres.  Designed by architect Felix Candela, the dome consists of hyperbolic paraboloids of tubular aluminum covered with waterproof copper-sheathed plywood and supported by huge steel arches. The Sports Palace seats 22,370!

The building was host to the basketball games for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Satellite Towers by architect Luis Barragan. 

His use of color was remarkable.

 An altar of skulls, marigolds, photos, water and salt in honor of the deceased from the earthquake of September of 1985.  And the reconstruction of Mexico City.

These Ofrendas are on display from the end of October to the end of December.  It will be interesting to see what the theme is for next year.  Stay tuned for I am taking another group to Puebla and Mexico City next October.



MUSEO DOLORES OLMEDO PATINO
Avenida Mexico 5843
La Noria
Xochimilco 

Tuesday - Sunday
10am - 6pm