Frida Kahlo Masterpieces Exported: Government Urged to Act

A landmark collection of 20th-century Mexican art, featuring iconic works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, is set to be exported to Spain under an agreement with Banco Santander. This decision has provoked strong criticism from Mexico's cultural sector.

Nearly 400 cultural professionals have signed an open letter urging the Mexican government to provide more information about the deal. They are particularly concerned about the fate of Kahlo's works, which are officially designated as artistic monuments.

The Gelman collection, comprising 160 pieces including paintings, sketches, and photographs, was acquired by the Mexican Zambrano family in 2023. The deal with Santander will see the collection move to Spain this summer to become a central feature of the bank's new cultural center, Faro Santander.

While Santander stated its commitment to the collection's conservation, research, and exhibition, the announcement's lack of a specified duration for the works' stay in Spain raised immediate concerns. These worries intensified when Faro Santander's director suggested the legislation governing the art was "flexible" and alluded to a "permanent presence" in Spain.

Critics argue that current Mexican legislation, especially concerning national artistic monuments like Kahlo's oeuvre, clearly stipulates that such works can only leave the country temporarily. The National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (Inbal) is mandated to repatriate any such works held privately abroad.

In response to the controversy, Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, stated that the government wishes for the collection to remain in Mexico. The Minister of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, reassured that the collection, valued as Mexican, is only leaving temporarily and is expected to return in 2028.

However, the contract between Inbal and Santander, viewed by The Guardian, indicates a temporary export period potentially lasting between June 2026 and September 30, 2030, with possibilities for extension by mutual agreement. This contractual detail fuels ongoing apprehension among cultural figures who believe the deal is ambiguous and overly beneficial to the Spanish bank.