The Permanent Revolution (An Ideological Screwball Comedy) at Museo Jumex, May 18 - June 15

The Permanent Revolution, an original play by Mexican artist Pedro Reyes, explores the tensions between socialism and capitalism, two economic ideologies that still have resonance in contemporary culture.

As a new departure from the artist's Baby Marx series—an exploration of the contradictions that occur between these two currents of thought through marionettes of characters that include Vladimir Lenin, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Karl Marx, Adam Smith and Milton Friedman—The Permanent Revolution gathers, for the first time in Mexico, these celebrated thinkers to discuss their revolutionary ideas and disproportionate ambitions. 

Above: Pedro Reyes, "The Permanent Revolution" (still), 2014. Video. Camera: Moritz Bernoully. Courtesy of Fundación Jumex Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City.

This new hour-long script commissioned by Fundación Jumex Arte Contemporáneo, sets the play in present time and flirts with important and urgent subjects such as ideological radicalism, government transparency and the controlled use of information. Additionally, six new characters will be joining the original cast: Leon Trotsky, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Steve Jobs and Julian Assange. 

The plot, which includes political intrigue, romance, philosophy, conceptual art, debauchery, technology, espionage, explosions and guaranteed entertainment for the whole family, addresses philosophical questions and political matters that have a direct impact on our lives, making the story that much more explosive. Here, the real, the absurd, and the ironic are chock-a-block.

With more than forty performances during four weeks, The Permanent Revolution will be presented at Museo Jumex along with an exhibition of artworks related to this project.

Learn more at www.fundacionjumex.org