07.09.23

An urban alternative to the snow packed aerial universe of the resort. The dream is to shuttle workers along the periphery, gliding them aloft towards their factories, mills, and fabricators in a manner devoid of traffic congestion.
 

06.09.24

Kerouac rented a rooftop hovel at 212 Orizaba Street where he wrote much of his road novel, Tristessa. There was hunger, neglect, rot gut booze, aloneness, and an endless well of creative energy brindled with occasional despair. This tiny space where a typewriter sat on a downbeat wooden table. He didn't last long here, but in his suitcase Kerouac left with a novel, sketches for poems that would lead to Mexico City Blues, and a broken heart.

05.09.24

Tracking the Beats in Ciudad de México at this fountain with pool and graceful lines. Empty and divine in its tranquil setting, even now inspiring notions of the sublime.

"Left to right: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovksy, Gregory Corso and Lafcadio Orlovsky - Mexico City's Alameda Park, in front of the Neptune Fountain, about which the article quotes Kerouac from Tristessa "a magnificent fountain and pool in a green part at a round O-turn in residential splendid shape of stone and glass and old grills and scrolly worly lovely majesties." (from the Allen Ginsberg Project)

04.09.24

The day exhausts as we approach the inverted carapace of the gallery. As intriguing as the structure is the artworks are haphazardly arranged, densely displayed. The top floor houses dozens of Rodin sculptures better suited to leafy gardens in Paris, and yet the visit is worthwhile. 

 

03.09.24

A shelf dedicated to Roberto Bolaño's ficción en español. A rough journey through some of the more intensely colourfied areas of the city was required to reach the fifth floor of the biblioteca vasconcelos. Stunning. 

02.09.24

The UNAM chemistry building displaying periodic fenestrations. Elemental relief. 

01.09.24

Around the corner stands the majestic central library of the UNAM complete with Juan O'Gorman's mural depictions of The Historical Representation of Culture. Featured on the south wall is the colonial past. We read that the tiles were laid into small panels off site making for installation readiness.