“I have come to seek, in the living Mexico, the secret of a life that the modern world has lost,” wrote the playwright and artist Antonin Artaud, who arrived in the country in 1936 seeking to distance himself from European civilization and draw closer to indigenous cultures.
In a letter addressed to his friend, the painter René Thomas, on April 2 of that year, Artaud announced his departure from Mexico City for the interior of the country—the heart of Mexico. The title of In Search of the Impossible, the evocative exhibition presented by the Guanajuato Museum of Art and History to mark two centuries of diplomatic relations between Mexico and France.
From Artaud to Contemporary Art
The exhibition revisits that exploration through the experiences of artists who have worked in both countries. Most of the works were created over the past 25 years by French and Francophone artists in Mexico, or by Mexican artists in France. The exhibition offers insight into what happens when an artist emigrates—what interests them, what strikes them as strange, and what they incorporate into their work.
The exhibition is part of the 54th edition of theCervantino Inter-https://festivalcervantino.gob.mx/nacionaln Festival, whose Visual Arts Program features 49 exhibitions at 35 venues, with the participation of 14 partner institutions. This year, France is the guest of honor.
Two Curators, A Perspective Between Mexico and France
The project began to take shape during a roundtable discussion on the visual arts organized by the French Embassy in Mexico. Michel Blancsubé and Julien Cuisset —also the founder of the Le Laboratoiregallery —who were responsible for curating the exhibition, participated in the discussion alongside other colleagues. According to Cuisset’s curatorial essay, the meeting provided an update on preparations for an official visit by Emmanuel Macron and the program “La Gran Fiesta Franco-Mexicana,” scheduled for the last quarter of 2026.
Both curators have been based in Mexico for more than two decades: Blancsubé since 2000 and Cuisset since 2001. Their professional experiences brought two perspectives to the project:“Michel, in curation per se, and I in cultural diplomacy and the management of a contemporary art gallery,” explains Cuisset. From this collaboration emerged a selection that brings together artists from different generations and backgrounds.
In Search of the Impossible suggests that relationships with other countries are also built on differences and resistance. The reference to Artaud reinforces this intention to look beyond the familiar. The works invite visitors to recognize affinities, but also to pause and reflect on what feels foreign or difficult to interpret. This tension lends the exhibition an appeal that goes beyond a mere diplomatic celebration.
The Artists of *In Search of the Impossible*
Gwladys Alonzo, Francis Alÿs, Liza Ambrossio, Carlos Amorales, Kader Attia, Rose Barberat, Raphaël Barontini, Nicolas Berloty, Félix Blume, Santiago Borja, Édouard Boubat, Mathieu Briand, Alfred Briquet, Rebecca Brodskis, Daniel Buren, Sophie Calle, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Aldo Caballero, Marc Camille Chaimowicz, Étienne Chambaud, Désiré Charnay, Claude Closky, Victor Costales, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Olga Cuellar, Damien Daufresne, Manuela de Laborde, Julien Devaux, Ilazki de Portuondo, Antoine d’Agata, Sébastien Dosantos Capouet, Yanieb Fabre, Malachi Farrell, Daniela Franco, Juan García, Dorian Gaudin, Simon Gerbaud, Yann Gerstberger, Daniel Godínez Nivón, Marie Hazard, Arturo Hernández Alcázar, and Jonathan Hernández.
In addition to Philippe Hernandez, Jean-Charles Hue, Pierre Huyghe, Thierry Jeannot, Victoria Kosom, Jérémy Laffon, Alejandra Laviada, Martin Lévêque, Gaspard Le Guen, Julien Lombardi, Estrid Lutz, Elsa-Louise Manceaux, Etienne-Jules Marey, Théo Mercier, Eugenio Merino, Caroline Mesquita, Annette Messager, Adrien Missika, Pierre Molinier, Jean-Luc Moulène, François Olislaeger, Jean-Marie Perdrix, Louis Pierre-Lacouture, Anthony Plasse, Bernard Plossu, Man Ray, Manuel Rocha Iturbide, Rótulos Rodríguez, Julia Rometti, Enrique Rosas, Alma Saladin, Loup Sarion, Elvia Teotski, Danielle Vallet Kleiner, Pierre Valls, and Marianne Wasowska.
When and where to visit the exhibition
The exhibition will be on view from October 1, 2026, to April 4, 2027, in the Luis García Guerrero Gallery at the Guanajuato Museum of Art and History, a facility of the State Ministry of Culture.
A visit to *In Search of the Impossible* offers the opportunity to encounter, all in one exhibition, figures such as Man Ray, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sophie Calle, Francis Alÿs, and Carlos Amorales, along with artists from other generations. The breadth of the selection allows visitors to discover these artists and compare their approaches.
It also invites us to view Mexico as a place where artists from diverse backgrounds have found themes, questions, and conditions for their creative work. At least in these halls, Mexico and France have much more in common than just the memory of the Pastry War.
Discover more contemporary art events, fairs, and exhibitions in Mexico and Ibero-America.
