Mexican Paris.

This week, let’s discover Mexico in the city of lights. Considering that Mexico City is the largest city in the world and the country has a rich culture to share, it is still under-represented here in Paris. Yet you can still find little pieces of Mexico here.

In the Marais, surrounded by small, upscale clothing stores and other art studios, is the Instituto de México à Paris. This cultural institute organizes exhibitions by Mexican artists, as well as conferences, film screenings, theatrical productions and concerts by Mexican performers. Entry to all events at the Institute is free. Sometimes larger events are held at the Maison de l’Amérique Latine in the 5^th. When I went earlier this week, there was a Volkswagen Beetle parked out front. The first one I’ve seen since I was in Mexico. Even though it wasn’t painted green like the ubiquitous taxis of Mexico, I knew I was in the right place.

Currently at the Instituto’s spotlessly white and spacious atelier space is a photo exhibit by German-Mexican photojournalist Juan Guzman. Called “Séances avec Diego et Frida”, the exhibit displays dozens of photos of the life of Diego Rivera, famous for his sociopolitical murals, and Frida Kahlo, famous for her colorful self-portraits. I have to say that as much as I like Diego, I’ve always been a huge Kahlo fan and I was a bit disappointed to see that the exhibit is 97% about Diego. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. Seeing huge black and white photos of Diego painting, both in his studio and onsite painting murals, is a wonderful window into the world that he lived.

The photos portray the political activism of Diego’s paintings, as well as his personal life. It seems as though, through all the pain that was Kahlo’s life, Diego managed to be pretty happy. A known playboy, it’s a bit sad to see photos of him dripping with women while, in another part of the exhibit, Frida lies in her hospital bed, painting, while a nurse in a white sterile uniform holds a cup of water for her to dip her brushes in. Although they are sad, these photos of Frida in the hospital are the best. They are in color and Frida’s hair is tied up with traditional Mexican ribbons and she is wearing her signature bright red lipstick. Even in a state of melancholy in a hospital bed (and yes, with a bit too much facial hair for a woman so dainty), she epitomizes beauty. Her eyes pierce through the photos, looking directly at you.

Séances avec Diego et Frida runs until February 22.

Upcoming Cultural Events

Coming up at the Institute is a showing of short films produced by the CCC, a film school in Coyoacán, on Tuesday, February 12 and conference on the funeral rites of pre-Hispanic Jalisco the following Tuesday. The Eglise Saint Germain des Prés will host a cantata entitled La Passión de Sor Juana on Tuesday, February 5. The Mexican poet’s work is set to music composed for the occasion.

You can watch part of the short film El Pasajero by Matias Meyer by clicking on this photo:

Next week, the Orquestra Sinfónica Nacional, Mexico’s oldest orchestra, will give a special concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet. Conducted by Harvard-educated Carlos Miguel Prieto (one of the world’s best-looking conductors), the concert will host Venezuelan-Argentine pianist, Sergio Tiempo. Tiempo (also good looking) has been performing publicly since the age of four. The concert takes place at 8 p.m. on January 30 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in the 1^st. You can buy tickets online here.

Mexican Stores

If you’re looking to buy Mexican trinkets, head down to the 15^th arrondissement to La Boutique de l’Amerique Latine at 64 blvd. Pasteur. This store sells textiles and little sculptures from Mexico and a handful of other Latin American countries. There are also masks and some wall art. Even better is its sister store just around the corner that sells Mexican pottery, tableware and glassware, along with hacienda-style wooden furniture. In the back room of this store, you can buy beautiful hand-painted Talavera tiles, but I warn you that the prices are heartbreakingly high. My favorite thing that the store sells is papel picado, the brightly colored paper banners you see hanging in Mexico wherever there’s a party.

In the 10^th arrondissement, at 25 rue des Vinaigriers, is a bright store called La Piñata, which sells, of course, piñatas for more euros than you can shake a stick at.

Food

You won’t trip over street vendors in Paris, which means that there’s no way to recreate a completely authentic Mexican food experience here. And if Mexicans knew how much tortillas cost here, they’d stop complaining back home. Earlier this year, Mexicans protested the rise (as much as 400% recently) in the price of the tortilla. The corn tortilla (a staple in Mexico) costs roughly 50 euro cents a kilo. I hate to admit this, but at Mexi & Co, I paid 8 euros for a bag that feels like it might be as heavy as a kilo. But it’s one of those things that I’ll do once every five years, so maybe I don’t need to feel so stupid. Of course, Andy will have to eat taquitos every night for dinner over the next week and a half.

Anyway, Mexi & Co used to be a little Mexican grocery store in the 5^th where you could buy nopales and masa harina. Now they’ve figured out that they can make more money hocking just the beer and chips and so it’s much more cantina than mercado these days. You can still find some things in their “épicerie”, but the selection is very limited and expensive. If you want to make tacos at home, you’re better off going to the “du monde” section of your closest Carrefour, which has everything you’ll need for taco night. (Except for beans. For beans, go to an African épicerie and you’ll find lots of different dried beans, including pinto and black).

For eating out, you can read about Mexi & Co’s restaurant, El Sol y La Luna, in this week’s Grub Hub.