Caricature Museum in Mexico City's subway station

In mid-June, the Zapata station of Line 12 of Mexico City’s Public Transport System (STC) will open a permanent exhibition which will show characters from “Familia Burrón”, by Gabriel Vargas; “Los Agachados”, by Rius; engravings of José Guadalupe Posada, 31 caricatures of Emiliano Zapata, more than 150 cartoons of different Mexican caricaturists and some publications specialized in the field.

In a tour organized by the Public Transport System (STC), where only EL UNIVERSAL was present, the project managers, Sandalio Sainz de la Maza and caricaturist Arturo Kemchs, explained that this "emblematic station" will have more than 400 elements which will allow the public to know a part of the Mexican caricature's history.

Divided into sections, this exhibition will have, in its first area, the beginnings of caricature, where the public will be able to appreciate a collage of cartoons that date from the 19th century, all linked to the political and social movements that authors published in newspapers such as “El Ahuizote”, “El Padre Cobos”, “El Hijo del Ahuizote” and “El Colmillo Público”, means of opposition to the regime of Porfirio Diaz.

In the second section, we will see the work of José Guadalupe Posada, a national symbol for his engravings, illustrations and caricatures that portrayed the customs and folkloric scenes of Mexico at the end of the 19th century, as well as his art related to death, in which skulls prevail, like his most famous creation: "La Catrina".

On the walls that will reflect the historical part, the exhibition will begin with a section dedicated to the "Metro", where the humor of contemporary caricaturists will reflect some of the situations that are experienced every day in this public mean of transportation.

The presentation will also include a section that pays tribute to different graphic press authors in Mexico as well as a specialized bookstore and consulting room where people can buy or consult books with the graphic work of more than 300 caricaturists Mexico has had throughout its history; In addition to this, users will be able to see some personal objects of these artists like as drawing-pens, inkwells and more materials that the so-called “moneros” have used every day since the decade of the 60's until today.

EL UNIVERSAL will take part of this initiative with images of historical covers such as the one that informed that April of 1919, the death of Emiliano Zapata, one of the most emblematic leaders of the Mexican Revolution.

This subway station will join other cultural exhibits that can be admired in station Garibaldi, which displays box, and Guerrero, with the theme of wrestling or “Lucha Libre”, which were inaugurated in the past days.

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