This fall, MoMA PS1 in New York City will unveil the first comprehensive survey of renowned Mexican artist Teresa Margolles. With a background in forensic pathology, Margolles has dedicated over three decades to producing impactful sculptures, performances, and installations that incorporate organic materials sourced from crime scenes and morgues.
The exhibition will showcase a selection of Margolles's works that confront the themes of murder and violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, exploring the treatment, disposal, and memorialization of the human body post-mortem. A notable piece from her ongoing series Air (2003-present) will see a gallery at MoMA PS1 humidified with water containing biodegradable material from homicide sites. Another compelling installation, titled "El agua de la ciudad, Dallas" (2016), documents a performance where Margolles and volunteers meticulously cleaned multiple murder sites throughout the city.
Complementing the PS1 exhibition, the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan will feature Margolles's new immersive installation, "Aproximación al lugar de los hechos (Approaching the Scene)" (2026), starting September 17. This installation invites viewers to experience water dripping onto seven steel hotplates, with the water infused with traces of violent death, creating a visceral and engaging encounter.
Ana Janevski, a curator from MoMA's Department of Media and Performance, noted in an email to Hyperallergic that Margolles transforms grief from a memorialized concept into a living reality, highlighting the interconnectedness of our environments with histories of loss. "Grieving becomes political not through grand symbolism but through proximity," she added, emphasizing the unsettling awareness of the spaces we occupy.
Margolles's international recognition includes her representation of Mexico at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 and a recent commission for a public artwork in Trafalgar Square, commemorating trans and nonbinary individuals. Her upbringing in Culiacán, known for its notorious drug cartel, and her subsequent studies in forensic pathology have deeply influenced her artistic practice, which often incorporates materials such as blood, fat, and remnants of life.
Central to the exhibition is "La promesa" (2012), a sculptural work documenting the artist's acquisition and careful demolition of an abandoned house in Ciudad Juárez, reflecting on systemic failures that lead to such desertion. Margolles's approach diverges from sensationalized media portrayals, focusing instead on the profound experiences of grief and loss.
The survey is scheduled to open on September 24 and will remain on view through spring 2027, promising to engage audiences with its poignant exploration of life, death, and the human experience.
