This work presents an overview of the various conceptions of death held by different indigenous and cultural groups in our country. It revitalizes national graphic art from a contemporary perspective by revisiting the foundations of Mexican printmaking, using only black and white.
At the center, two *calacas* (skeletons) dance to the rhythm of a *son* on a mosaic-tiled plaza, while a rattlesnake sets the tempo for Mexico City. Musicians enliven the national celebration with harps, guitars, and a mule-jaw instrument, accompanying this joyful, vibrant scene.
Two visions are depicted: the rural and the urban. The former is represented by prickly pear cacti, agave plants, cultivated fields, and a tractor merged with a skull set amidst furrows. The urban aspect is driven by a "European wind"—represented by a bearded man or a kite—and by a car iconic to Mexico, fused with a skull atop a tall candle that divides the worlds of the living and the dead, evoking the spirit of this celebration.
An eruption of *cempasúchil* (marigold) flowers bursts forth from the volcano encircling the mural's overall composition; this explosion originates from Mictlán and the top of the bandstand—undoubtedly the heart of every town—while a child and a coyote weave the story like a game played between the past and the immediate present.
In the *lucha libre* (wrestling) scene, the wrestler El Felino represents the battle against death. The all-seeing heart is a prickly pear fruit re-emerging from the cactus, clinging tenaciously to this clay-rich earth. The roots of the Tree of Life blossom; the Day of the Dead altar, the flowers, and the interplay of light and shadow all offer a glimpse of a celebration that knows no end.
National Museum of Popular Cultures
