The Consulate of Mexico in New York Presents… “Neo-Mexican Humanism,” an Exhibition by Artist Rubén Landini

““Mexican Humanism is a category now used to frame a set of ethical principles in the public policies of our country. However, for this democratic transformation to be complete, its roots must also resonate in culture—particularly in the arts. Mexican humanism cannot be confined to the political or social spheres; its essence must be reflected in artistic practices and in the currents of thought emerging in contemporary Mexico. This project seeks to elevate and engage with these humanist values through art, using this platform as a bridge to break with outdated beliefs and value systems.””

— Rubén Landini

On July 23, the Consulate General of Mexico in New York will opened its doors to one of the most innovative proposals in contemporary Mexican art: the exhibition Neo-Mexican Humanism by artist Rubén Landini.

With provocative phrases such as “A Mexican’s best friend is another Mexican” and “He who shares does not advance,” Landini proposes a rethinking of the internal dialogue within Mexican culture and a critical reflection on the political and social processes currently shaping the country.

The work of this artist from Puebla is expressed as a free and visceral exploration, where painting becomes a direct extension of his being—an immediate expression of emotion, intuition, and instinct. According to Landini himself, “paintings have the right to be whatever they want to be,” revealing his spontaneous and deeply symbolic approach.

His style is characterized by vigorous brushstrokes that shape compositions loaded with symbolism, in which spirituality and politics—often seen as opposites—converge in a powerful synthesis.

Rubén Landini began his studies in architecture at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP), and in 2020, he was awarded a merit scholarship from the Pablo Neruda Siglo XXI Association in Besançon, France, to study Fine Arts at the Institut Supérieur des Beaux-Arts (ISBA). He graduated with honors and received jury distinction in 2023. He then continued his training at the University of Fine Arts in Barcelona, where he began to stand out with exhibitions at the PAAM gallery and the renowned Studio 46 of Joan Barbarà. His style—defined as “Neo-Mexican”—combines elements of national folklore with techniques acquired during his artistic residency in Bushwick, Brooklyn, in the summer of 2023, under the mentorship of Spanish artist Cristina de Miguel.

Following that residency, the Consulate of Mexico in New York invited him to present his work at its premises—a proposal Landini accepted with great commitment. He developed an exhibition that engages with Mexico’s current historical moment and seeks to challenge paradigms inherited from neoliberal periods.

The series of artworks was painted in Oaxaca, in the studio of artist Rolando Calderón, where Landini used black clay, soil, and mole from Oaxaca to create the pieces—an approach that deepens the patriotic and conceptual content of the exhibition.

Neo-Mexican Humanism centers on humanist values, seeks to dignify the migrant experience, and symbolically accompanies the democratic transformation underway in the country.

The exhibition features large-scale works that reinterpret cultural icons and national symbols from a critical and unifying perspective. One of the standout pieces, We Played Like Never and Lost Like Always, portrays the Mexican national soccer team lifting the World Cup in a composition that evokes Diego Rivera’s mural in Alameda Park. Each player represents a figure from the national collective imagination.

Another emblematic piece is a reinterpretation of The Two Fridas, in which the original figures' faces are replaced by those of Porfirio Díaz and Benito Juárez. The two appear holding hands, connected by roots emerging from their fingers and intertwining in a symbolic gesture proposing the reconciliation of two opposing historical visions—united by blood, land, and national identity. The piece is titled In lak’ech – Hala ken, Maya phrases meaning: “I am another you” and “You are another me.”

With this exhibition, Rubén Landini invites the public to reflect on national unity beyond ideological, economic, or geographic differences. His artistic proposal is a call for empathy, memory, and hope, expressed through a vibrant and deeply Mexican visual language.