A brief history of street art in Mexico

Further reading

📚 I bought Mexican Muralism: A Critical History, in order to learn more about muralism and Mexican history. It’s fascinating and I highly recommend getting a hold of it if you’re interested in Mexican political art.

Where to find murals in Mérida

Palacio de Gobierno

One of my favourite places to recommend to visitors to Mérida is the Palacio de Gobierno.

(In fact, any place you visit in Mexico, I recommend heading to the Palacios as they are generally decorated with incredible murals depicting the officially sanctioned history of the region. This, in itself, is fascinating as a form of political and social commentary.)

The Government Palace is a working governmental building, however, the upstairs balcony and upper floor are dedicated to murals by artist Fernando Castro Pacheco (a renowned 20th local artist) depicting the struggle of the Mayan people against not only the Spanish conquistadors but also later the Mexican ruling classes.

Prepare to be extremely moved as you learn about the history of Mérida and Yucatán through these murals.

Xcalachen

The main mural area in Mérida is Xcalachen in the south of the city. Handily, twice a year there’s also a Fiesta de Chicharron here.

To see these for yourself, head to Xcalachen in the south of Merida. There isn’t really anything to do except admire the street art in this area if you’re visiting outside of the chicharron festival but it’s still worth a trip if you have time.

🗺️ start at the intersection of Calles 95 & 54A and walk towards Calle 56.

→ Why not combine a wander here with a trip to the nearby Cementerio General?

Around the city

In the past few years there has been an increase in street art that might not be out of place in cities with a more political bent such as San Cristobal de las Casas or Oaxaca. It’s thoughtful, making a statement, representing local culture, and is absolutely captivating.

A note on Datoer

Datoer is undoubtedly the most famous street artist in Mérida (just as a little humble brag, during the pandemic he started selling small paintings so we have an original Datoer in our house!!). He has a very distinctive style and often paints older Yucatecan people. I love that he sees the importance in representing the elders of the community this way.

In & around restaurants

Many restaurants have chosen to decorate themselves with incredible murals that either represent their ethos or give a nod to traditional Indigenous art and culture – I love everything about Pancho Maiz including the gentle art on their walls. Also check out Catrín, one of the first restaurants to have an incredible wall of art in the restaurant.

Mercado Lucas de Galvez

Upstairs in the Mercado Lucas de Galvez’s newest section you’ll find some lovely murals to check out as you browse the artisanias.

Do feel free to share your favourite street art from Mérida with me in my Facebook group, Thoughtful visitors to Mexico. Obviously, street art is an ever changing game so I’d love to see what you’ve found as you adventure around.