The art collection, as well as the collection of Cultural Development, will remain in Mexico and will be owned by Banamex (…) we will continue working so that more and more Mexicans know and have access
Fernando Chico Pardo
With the purchase, the businessman said he will seek to support young painters and talents in the field.
“I am very passionate about sculpture and painting,” he added. “Part of the collection of this institution (Banamex) was done like this: supporting new talents of both painting and sculpture.”
Change of command in the cultural heritage of Banamex
A few weeks ago, Banamex announced changes in the Directorate of Banamex Heritage and Cultural Development. Natalia Pollak Bianchi assumed as the new director and will direct all the areas linked to culture in the bank, which include cultural promotion, artistic heritage, stately houses, Valparaíso Forum and historical archive.
The bank has five stately houses: the Iturbide Palace, in the historic center of Mexico City; The Montejo house, in Mérida; the House of Mayorazgo de la Canal, in San Miguel de Allende; the palace of the Count of the Súchil Valley, in Durango; and the Villa de Antequera house, in Oaxaca.
But the houses are just a part of all the collection that the bank has. Banamex has thousands of works, including those of painters recognized as Frida Kahlo, Dr. Atl, Agustín Arrieta, José Clemente Orozco, Julio Ruelas, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Miguel Cabrera, María Izquierdo, Miguel Covarrubias, Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, among others.
On the part of the Historical Archive of the National Bank of Mexico, which was founded in 1991, it contains photographs, old documents and even the first ATM that the country had.
It is a collection of more than 100,000 photographs, 2,000 coins, old bills and dozens of historical documents are part of the historical archive that Banamex has in Mexico and that belong to the assets that the American financial giant Citigroup has put up for sale.
