Nativity, Glimpses through time (2025): Museum of Pre-Columbian and Indigenous Art (MAPI), Montevideo, Uruguay
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About the exhibition
Far from serving merely as a festive ornament, the installation is an educational composition that documents everyday life. Through its characters and scenes, the figures bear witness to the processes of secularization and the social changes that transformed Mexican households beginning in the mid-19th century.The collection invites reflection on the value of folk art as a guardian of memory and a portrait of an ever-changing identity. Through this monumental ensemble, the work engages in a dialogue with devotional miniatures and reevaluates domestic practices—such as embroidery and miniature theaters—recognizing them as cultural expressions of great sensitivity. -
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Curatorial Statement
Amparo Espinosa Rugarcía Nativity
Formerly known as the Pomona Nativity, named after the street in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, where it used to be displayed, the Nativity Amparo Espinosa Rugarcía is a collection of 1,100 polychromed clay figures full of gestures and dynamism. It was made by the artisan Felipe Nieva (Orizaba, Veracruz) under the commission of the Ashby family at the beginning of the 20th century. Alongside the figures, a variety of other decorative elements were preserved, including models and painted backdrops, some signed and others anonymous, that together bring to life 50 biblical passages from the Old and New Testaments.
These figures bear witness to a series of political and social changes in Mexico, such as the separation of Church and State in the 19th century, which continued after the Mexican Revolution, as well as the influence of entertainment media such as film, the circus and theater, anchored in everyday life.
Amparo Espinosa came across this Nativity set during her childhood, when it was displayed by the Ashby family. Later, in 1981, she decided to acquire it. Although she initially exhibited it only to her inner circle, the fame of this Nativity set grew and a process of curatorship and museography started taking place, with the purpose of presenting it from a contemporary perspective. Since then, the complete work has been exhibited in museums, cultural centers, and art spaces across Mexico, Europe and Latin America.
The Artist: Felipe Nieva
Felipe Nieva was born in Orizaba, Veracruz, in the late 1800s. There is limited information about his life; in fact, it remains unclear where did he learn his trade or whether it was part of a family tradition. However, according to several testimonies, he was known to be a man of humble beginnings, with a strong and determined spirit, a person of deep faith who stayed in his homeland throughout his life. He got married and never had children and, in 1973, he became a widower due to the earthquake that occurred in Orizaba that year. According to the Ashby family, Felipe Nieva lived to be over 90 years old and suffered from vision problems, but this never affected his artistic abilities.
Nieva’s craft was outstanding and requested by several Nativity scene collectors from Veracruz, who use to compete for the artisan's work. Around 1910, he received the first commission from the patriarch of the Ashby family, a Nativity set, to which he dedicated 60 years of his life.
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Old Testament
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Adam and Eve Eat the Forbidden Fruit, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 3, 1-6
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Banished from Paradise, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 3, 21 -24
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Cain and Abel, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 4, 3-8
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El Arca de Noé, S.XXAntiguo TestamentoGénesis 8, 13 -22
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The First Inhabitants, S. XXOld TestamentGénesis 4, 16 -24
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Lot’s Wife Turned into a Pillar of Salt, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 19, 15-17; 19, 24 -26
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The Sacrifice of Isaac, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 22, 9 -18
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Eliezer and Rebekah, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 24, 2 -5; 9 - 27
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Jacob Receives Isaac’s Blessing, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 27, 6- 10; 27, 15- 19; 27, 30
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Jacob’s Dream, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 28, 11 – 17
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Jacob and Benjamin, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 35, 16- 18
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Joseph is Sold by His Brothers, S.XXOld TestamentGénesis 37, 2-4; 37, 18- 28
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Moses is Found in the Nile River, S.XXOld TestamentÉxodo 1, 22; 2, 1-10
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Moses Receives the Ten Commandments, S.XXOld TestamentÉxodo 24, 12 -17
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The Worship of the Golden Calf, S.XXOld TestamentÉxodo 32, 1; 32, 15- 20
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Samson Fights the Lion, S.XXOld TestamentJueces 14, 5- 8
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Ruth and Naomi, S.XXOld TestamentRut 1, 8- 10; 1, 14 -17
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David and Goliath, S.XXOld Testament1 Samuel 17, 45 – 51
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New Testament
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The Childhood of Mary, S.XXOld TestamentMística Ciudad de Dios. Libro 1, 401 - 405
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The Betrothal, S.XXOld TestamentLeyenda dorada de Santiago de la Vorágine
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The Annunciation, S.XXNew TestamentLucas 1, 26-38
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Joseph’s Workshop, S.XXNew TestamentEvangelio de la Infancia de Tomás. XI, 2-4
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The Visitation, S.XXNew TestamentMística Ciudad de Dios. Libro II, 201
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Joseph’s Dream, S.XXNew TestamentMateo 1, 18 -25
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Looking for a Place to Stay, S.XXNew TestamentLeyenda dorada de Santiago de la Vorágine
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The Birth of Jesus, The Adoration of The Shepherds and The Adoration of the Three Wise Men, S.XXNew TestamentLucas 2, 6-7; 2, 15-16
Mateo 2, 1a; 2,10 -
The Announcement to the Shepherds, S.XXNew TestamentLucas 2, 8 - 14
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The Journey of the Kings, S.XXNew testamentMateo 2, 1b- 9
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The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, S.XXNew TestamentLucas 2, 22 – 28; 2, 36 - 39
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The Flight into Egypt, S.XXNew TestamentMateo 2, 13-15
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The Massacre of the Innocents, S.XXNew TestamentMateo 2, 16- 18
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The Dream of the Holy Family, S.XXNew TestamentMateo 2, 19-23
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Jesus as a Boy Among the Teachers in the Temple, S.XXNew TestamentLucas 2, 40 – 50
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The House in Nazareth, S.XXNew TestamentLucas 2, 51- 52
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The Baptism, S.XXNew TestamentMarcos 1, 4-6; 1 9-11
Mateo 3; 16-17
Lucas 3, 21- 22 -
Jesus in the Desert, S.XXNew TestamentMarcos 1, 12-13
Lucas 4, 1-2; 4,13
Mateo 4, 1-11
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Installation views
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Videos
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Interview with Miguel Angel Aguilar, guest curator
“Nativity, Glimpses Through Time” (2025) - MAPI, Montevideo, Uruguay Read more -
Interview with the Museum Staff
“Nativity, Glimpses Through Time” (2025) - MAPI, Montevideo, Uruguay Read more
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Opening
“Nativity, Glimpses Through Time” (2025) - MAPI, Montevideo, Uruguay Read more -
Installation process
“Nativity, Glimpses Through Time” (2025) - MAPI, Montevideo, Uruguay Read more
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Behind the show
