In the middle of Chapultepec Forest, there’s an unexpected, hidden place called Cárcamo de Dolores. It’s an indoor/outdoor space created by the architect Ricardo Rivas and the well known Mexican artist Diego Rivera.
It’s divided in two parts; first, on the outside, there’s a huge fountain dedicated to Tlaloc, the Prehispanic god of water. The structure is so big it can be seen from any aircraft. Then there’s an indoor space, the museum, a functionalist building decorated with a tremendous mural painted by Rivera. The paintings talk about the story, the issues and the flow of water through Mexico City. Originally the mural was underwater but the colors suffered damage so the government decided to dried it.
Inside the museum there is also a sound installation by the Mexican artist and musician Ariel Guzik. It gives a weird atmosphere to the building because the sound bounces on every corner. When I got there I felt like if I was living in another time. The building from 1951 makes you feel like you’re inside a city of old Mexico, far away from the chaos and close to nature.
It was nice to recognise the importance of water in our everyday life and also to think about the subaquatic world. It is perhaps my most important discovery this year.
Free admission on Tuesday and $20 the rest of the week.