This is evident not only in the numerous popular representations of death, as associated with the annual ritual on All Souls’ Day, the “Day of the Dead”, but above all in the constant presence of death in everyday life. It is the result of almost unimaginable everyday excesses of violence, which the world press reports on at regular intervals.

How do people deal with this frightening and disturbing reality? This question is at the centre of the exhibition De muerte presente, which presents works by Mexican artists on the subject. In terms of content, the spectrum includes aspects such as the commemoration of the dead, the boundary between life and death, the dissolution and decay of the body, the sheer coping with the fear of death and the disintegration of society. For their exploration of these themes, the artists usually make use of contemporary media such as photography, installation, video, internet or electronic facial recognition. In doing so, they also often reflect on their own artistic methods, because the subject requires a respectful approach to death and the dead.