THURSDAY
A staple of Mexican journalism, the sensationalist pieces known as “la nota roja” have long sparked the interest of people from all walks of life. Morbid curiosity aside, artists, photographers, and writers have endowed this peculiar approach to reporting with a unique aesthetic rendering it into a genre of its own. Crónica de la nota roja en México. De Posada a Menitides y del Tigre de Santa Julia al crimen organizado pays homage to the work of photographer Enrique Menitides — father of the style of the nota roja — and displays the works of several other artists who have recorded the gore of the Mexican crime-scape. The show runs until September at Museo del Estanquillo, which opens at 10 a.m. Entrance is free.
FRIDAY
Sensorial theater hacks the usual format of plays and representation by involving the audience and all of their senses. It may sound a bit invasive, but it is definitely worth a try. If you’re feeling brave or experimental, check out Tansperceptual, the International Festival of Sensorial Theater organized by Sensorama, the Mexican pioneer of these performances. Head to Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris and see/feel/smell/hear for yourself Asyulum Voces deMentes by Colombian theater company Sensósfera where spectators experience the gloomy asylum home to Two-Face, Cat Woman, Poison Ivy and the Joker. Entrance starts every 5 minutes from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are 250 pesos. Transperceptual runs until May 7, check out the full schedule here.
If traditional theater formats are more your thing, try Noche de Reyes, a cabaret take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Masterfully directed by Alfonso Iñíguez, this adaptation explores the depths of the romantic and sexual exploits of its characters under the lens of excess and eccentricity. Where? Foro Shakespeare, of course. Shows start at 6 and 8:30 p.m. and tickets are 300 pesos.
SATURDAY
Excuse me, do you have a minute to talk about “fine drinking?” If your answer is “salud!” join us at the World Class Local Finals, a competition hosted by Diageo Reserve to find the best mixologists in the country. Each of the five finalists will open a pop-up bar where you can try the cocktails that will lead them to the Global Finals, to be held in August in Mexico City. Go get your cocktail tasting on from 1 to 7:30 p.m. at General Prim #32, Col. Juárez. Entrance is free.
SUNDAY
Forget the “inner child” cliché and celebrate Children’s Day like an adult. No, not at the bar but at a museum. Gregor Scheider‘s exhibition Kindergarten shows the work of the German artist known to manipulate and question the role of spaces. By blurring the line between reality and fiction, Schneider transforms inhabitable rooms into disconcerting habitats where the rules of engagement are not entirely clear. This exhibition at Muac features Playground, his latest work produced specifically for the show, which questions the role of spontaneity and social normativity in the context of play. Tickets are 20 pesos and the museum opens at 10 a.m.
