Galería Karen Huber has focused on the issues around contemporary painting; this exhibition responds to that concern in one of its methods. As is the case with other painting manifestations, the formal and discursive resources of murals are reformulating.

Mural painting is traditionally linked to an idea of permanence and commitment, as much with spaces as with the vision of the artist and their patron (whether it be the Church, a social program, or a collector’s wall). However, it seems that in this case such principles are shattered, or at least questioned, because the exhibition takes place in a gallery—places known for their ephemeral nature and appeal to the private sector.

The artists participating in this show have approached the subject from different paths: frescos, expanded painting, various techniques of illustration, design and the streets, and the integration of conceptual strategies.

Roberto Turnbull, Álvaro Castillo, and Rafael Uriegas have been working with mural paintings and specifically with frescos for a while; nevertheless, only Uriegas used the fresco technique in its traditional way for this exhibition. On their behalf, Turnbull and Castillo create new possibilities by using formal resources that seem to call the technique into question. Luis Hampshire and Benjamín Torres have worked on the concept of murals using alternative media and expanded painting. Marcos Castro and Marco Rountree’s approach is a response to their interest in exploring murals from styles that relate to the streets and graffiti. Alejandro Romero ‘Chicle’ and Tezontle explore murals from their stance as conceptual artists. 

Being nowhere near the traditional relationship between State patronage and mural painting, how do murals fit into the private sector today? What happens with its visibility and where are its huge audiences? What does it mean today for a collector to commission a mural? As a gallery, we think these questions are relevant. And we know that other queries will arise. But for now, we are happy to feel that once again we are facing a profound moment for painting in Mexico.