The Aztecs museum exhibit sells out on its first day in Seoul, Korea

• The exhibition is part of the Culture Ministry's international policy of showcasing Mexico's cultural wealth on every continent.
• The exhibition will be open to the public in one of Asia's leading museums until August 28.

Aztecs: The People Who Moved the Sun, inaugurated on May 2 at the National Museum of Korea, sold out of tickets for the month of May on the first day.

For Mexican Culture Secretary Alejandra Frausto, this is a sign of the growing interest in and appreciation for Mexico's native cultures abroad. "A key part of our policies has been to show the world the best of Mexico's cultures and traditions. This exhibition has become a great ambassador for Mexico in other parts of the world. It's been in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, and now it has arrived at the most important cultural and artistic venue in the Republic of Korea on the last stop of its international tour. I want to stress that this is a joint effort involving many institutions, including, of course, the Foreign Ministry-through the Mexican embassy in Korea-and specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)," she said.

She said that the exceptional exhibition is the showpiece of the commemorations of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Korea, a fact that has a very special meaning for Korean society, since it is considered the end of one life cycle and the beginning of a new one.

This type of exhibition also highlights the importance of the pieces as a symbol of the identity of civilizations. For this reason, the Mexican government will continue to fight to ensure that these artifacts of our heritage are respected. They "are not decorative pieces, they are the invaluable legacy of the cultures that are part of our history and are a sample of the cultural diversity and wealth of Mexico."

Aztecs: The People Who Moved the Sun is organized by the Mexican Culture Ministry, through the INAH, in collaboration with the Linden-Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, and in cooperation with the Museum of Ethnology in Vienna, Austria; with the curatorship of Doris Kurella from the Linden-Museum, and the scientific advice of Mexican archaeologists Leonardo López Luján, Raúl Barrera Rodríguez and Eduardo Matos Moctezuma.

The exhibition includes over 200 archaeological artifacts and two reproductions, mostly belonging to the National Anthropology Museum, the Templo Mayor Museum and the Templo Mayor project. It shows the history, daily life, rituals, cultural achievements and legacy of the people who came from the mythical city of Aztlan, and sheds light on many of the stereotypes that exist around practices such as human sacrifice in the Mesoamerican societies.

Most of the pieces in the exhibit come from the archaeological excavations carried out by the Templo Mayor project and the Urban Archeology Program. These are the most recent findings by the INAH in the ruins of the Tenoch capital.

The pieces include skull masks; large clay sculptures such as the one representing the god of death, Mictlantecuhtli; thin sheets of gold that symbolize the lunar divinity Coyolxauhqui; incised and sgraffito conch shells; large bifacial knives; polychrome cups; a sculptural representation of a 52-year cycle; and a stone offering chest (tepetlacalli), among other priceless objects, which can seen at the National Museum of Korea until August 28.

Mexico reaffirms its commitment to showcasing its art and culture not only within the country but also internationally, with exhibitions curated by Mexican specialists. During its European tour, Aztecs was seen by more than 181,000 people. The Olmecs and the Cultures of the Gulf of Mexico exhibit was seen by more than 124,000 visitors at the Quai Branly Museum, in Paris, France, from October 9, 2020 to October 3, 2021.

Follow the Ministry of Culture on Twitter (@cultura_mx), Facebook (/SecretariaCulturaMX) and Instagram (@culturamx).

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.