A legal dispute in Mexico is drawing attention to the future of a major private art collection that includes works by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and other key figures of 20th-century Mexican art. Advocacy group Defendamos la Colección Gelman has filed lawsuits against the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL), questioning the permits tied to the collection's planned international tour.
The collection, now known as the Gelman Santander Collection, was assembled in Mexico City in the 1940s by Jacques Gelman and Natasha Zahalka. It includes 161 works, around 30 of which are classified as artistic monuments and therefore subject to strict rules for temporary export. Among the best-known pieces are Kahlo's Self-Portrait with Monkeys and Diego in My Mind.
At the center of the debate is the collection's upcoming journey to Spain, where it is set to open at Faro Santander before continuing to Basel and Norway. INBAL says the works will later return to Mexico for an exhibition in Monterrey in 2028, and that the agreement with the Santander Bank Foundation covers research, conservation and cultural programming rather than ownership transfer.
Supporters of the legal action say the public deserves clearer information about the export terms and the management changes surrounding the collection. The dispute has also renewed interest in how museums and institutions balance international visibility with the protection of national heritage.
As the collection prepares to leave Mexico, the case highlights how cultural stewardship, legal frameworks and global exhibition networks may shape the future circulation of major artworks.
