Viva Mexico!

As if celebrating Mexico’s Bicentennial Independence was not enough, last September 16 the Mexican Pavilion at Expo Shanghai celebrated its National Day, which is a celebration organized by the Expo’s organizers to honor each of the 192 participating countries.

This double celebration was no coincidence. According to Eduardo Seldner, General Commissioner of the Mexican Pavilion, from the outset, Mexico’s National Day “was programmed to coincide with Mexico’s Bicentennial Independence celebrations.”

The event was a mixture of art, folklore and music that included the inauguration of the exhibit “Mexico in Your Senses,” by renowned photographer Willy Sousa, and the unveiling of the work “Natural Dialogues” by sculptor Rivelino, which will be exhibited in the pavilion until the Expo closes at the end of October.

The travelling museum “Mexico in Your Senses” is made up of a video and a photograph exhibit in which Sousa’s lens captured Mexican traditions, idiosyncrasy and way of life. First seen by Mexican audiences in March of this year in Mexico City’s Zocalo, it has, since May, been shown in Argentina, the United States and Canada and now for the first time on the Asian continent at Expo Shanghai 2010. This exhibit has been seen by more than 8 million people.

The sculpture “Natural Dialogues” was made expressly for exhibition in the Mexican Pavilion. This bronze and steel sculpture, which is 6 meters wide by 3.20 meters high, is based on the relationships between human beings and nature. Furthermore, this work that weighs almost one ton, invite reflection on our planet’s biodiversity, its care and vitality for our cities, concepts which coincide with Expo’s theme: “Better City, Better Life.”

On the other hand, jewelry lovers enjoyed Ofelia Murrieta’s jewelry exhibit “La China Intervenida,” which arose from Murrieta's research into postcards, drawings and cartoons depicting the evolution of “China Poblana” dresses through time.

In addition, attendees to the celebration danced to the rhythm of music by Veracruz group Mono Blanco and by Colectivo Nortec, which fuses electronic rhythms with norteña music, and experienced Mexican traditions through a performance by Amalia Hernández’s Ballet Folclórico de México.

Finally, the celebrations would not be complete without the traditional “Grito de Independencia,” followed by traditional Mexican drinks and dishes, such as quesadillas, tacos, tamales, shrimp with chile, antojitos (traditional treats) and desserts such as buñuelos and churros, prepared by the pavilion’s Mexican restaurant.