Mexican Mix ëNine Visionsí and Delgado Exhibits Display Traditional, Modern Art by Gary Tischler The Mexican Cultural Institute Building at 2829 16th St., NW, is a venerable, historic and classic place with stately stairways and beautifully lit rooms. Inside, two new exhibitions shake these traditional halls with an influx of modern and contemporary art. Downstairs, the works of six Mexican artists and three Americans are on display in ìClay SculptureóNine Visions,î where works and artists combine the contemporary and electric with a traditional and primitive influence. You have to travel three more flights of stairs to catch up with Mexican artist AnÌbal Delgadoís paintings and drawings in his U.S. debut exhibition after a career of exhibitions in Mexico. What distinguishes the nine visions in the first exhibition are their variety and power. Itís a pretty busy world that encompasses the several downstairs galleries that house these visions. Although some of themóJavier del Cuetoís basic clay works, Leonor Anayaís ocean themes, and Jeffrey Mongrainís symbols of religionóare basic and clear, others, such as Maribel Portelaís series of hands and faces, serve as a vehicle for remembrance. Most startling of all is a series of installed works combining sculpture and photographs that remind us, at least in the context of our times, of the fragile intensity of history. The series is a work on the theme of Elian Gonzales, the motherless Cuban child rescued off the coast of Miami who became a touchstone, firestorm symbol of the conflict between two Cubas. That was only two years ago, but already it seems like eons ago. ìStrapless: Visual Propertyî is a powerful, if hard to understand exhibition. The paintingsóthick and boldóhave a spilled quality, and the paint invades the frames, as if a very passionate, angry or sloppy artist were at work. If there are echoes of golden-age abstract impressionism in these very active paintings, they give out their own air of secrets to which we have no key. Delgadoís work almost has the quality of mounted stuffed animals that have neglected to die: Theyíre still full of juices and lifeóas if they came from a cauldron that happens to be the imagination. The drawingsóblack-and-white cutoutsóhave an altogether different feel to them. Encased as they are, they look like encapsulated epigrams caught in the act of being said. Or at least, they seem to invite epigrams. In abstract art, titles are sometimes critical: One of Delgadoís paintings, fiery with blacks, reds and oranges with frames practically bleeding and scorched, is titled ìYou Wouldnít Stand Up, As a Punishment You Remained Lying on Your Side.î The black-and-white creations are like ink blots, equally but differently strange. In one series, you might see a street fight, a leaf, a crocodile, or a beggar crawling on a tree branch, and you also get a title like: ìIn Here Just Arriving From Your Walk and a Glass of Beer Escaped.î Delgado is a graduate of the School of Plastic Arts at the University of Guadalajara and the School of Visual Arts at the National University of Mexico. He has had solo exhibitions at numerous galleries in Mexico City and group exhibitions in Mexico City; Zacatecas, Mexico; San Antonio, Texas; and Ottawa, Canada. ìClay SculptureóNine Visionsî and ìStrapless: Visual Propertyî run through June 12 at the Mexican Cultural Institute, 2829 16th St., NW, Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Reservations are strongly recommended. For more information, please call (202) 728-1628 or visit www.dcmexicancultural.org. Gary Tischler is a contributing writer to The Washington Diplomat.