In October 2021, a singular event took place: for two days, the Museo Tamayo opened its doors to the public completely empty—without any exhibitions. This initiative formed part of the celebrations marking the 40th anniversaryof the museum’s inauguration, a canonical work of Mexican architecture designed in 1972 by Teodoro González de León and Abraham Zabludovsky, and inaugurated in 1981.
On this occasion, LIGA, Space for Architecture, invited six emerging architectural photographers to produce a new series of visual portraits of the building. The exhibition features the work of Arturo Arrieta, César Béjar, Ariadna Polo, Onnis Luque, Luis Gallardo, and Luis Young.
Working closely with the curators, each photographer selected a composition of images to be presented on the walls, accompanied by a set of photographs in varied formats available for public consultation on central pedestals. In this instance, the museum itself becomes the artwork—emptied and freed from its original role as a container for other works, it is reframed as the centerpiece of the exhibition. Through each photographer’s unique perspective, the project offers new interpretations of the space, proposing a contemporary re-reading of this iconic building.
The central element of the exhibition was commissioned by LIGA and constructed using structural steel donated by Gerdau Corsa, a key partner and sponsor of the initiative. The installation incorporates a 24” IR beam weighing one ton, with a weight of 55 pounds per foot, made from high-strength low-alloy steel produced using 94% recycled materials in an electric arc furnace. Originally measuring 12.20 meters in length and 1.09 meters in height, the beam was cut and shaped to form the exhibition pedestals. Each module serves as a platform to present the work of one photographer, complementing their visual exploration of the Museo Tamayo.
Series 01 – DOCUMENTATION / Arturo Arrieta
Series 02 – DOCUMENTATION / César Béjar
Series 03 – DOCUMENTATION / Luis Gallardo
Series 04 – DOCUMENTATION / Onnis Luque
