For the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection, Polina Stroganova curated BE-LONGING – an international exhibition that marks the launch of a new series of dialogue-driven projects aimed at fostering cross-cultural exchange and local engagement. Conceived as the first iteration of this global initiative, the exhibition brings together works from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection alongside contemporary artists living and working in Mexico, generating a multi-perspective dialogue around the evolving notion of identity.
The project is further enriched by a robust public program – developed in partnership with institutions such as the Goethe-Institut Mexico – that includes artist talks, guided tours, screenings, and panel discussions.
BE-LONGING brings together selected works from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection and contemporary artists living and working in Mexico. The exhibition explores the theme of identity, a subject deeply embedded in contemporary artistic discourse and continuously negotiated within society at large. The works by 32 international artists illustrate not only the relevance and complexity of the chosen topic, but also its potential to promote individual and collective resilience.
The exhibited works deal with identity-forming aspects such as bodies, origins, memories, geographies and vocations. These thematic strands allow for multiple interpretations and perspectives on identity emphasizing the concepts of fluidity, dialogue, and the interplay between different points of view. Visitors are invited to contribute their own experiences and associations to this dialogue, making a space for exchange, reflection and critical engagement with the evolving nature of identity in contemporary society. The exhibition’s scenography is designed by the esteemed Mexico City-based architectural studio C Cúbica, which has developed a modular display tailored to the concept of the exhibition. This design reinforces the exhibition’s emphasis on interconnectedness and multiplicity.
The show marks the launch of a series of dialogue-driven, international exhibitions of the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection designed to engage with local artistic practices. Through a dynamic and modular approach, this initiative aims to reach a broad international audience while fostering collaborations between Mercedes-Benz employees, different communities as well as diverse artistic networks in key international locations—Mexico City being the first.
BE-LONGING is realized together with Mercedes-Benz Mexico, which has a longstanding relationship with the local cultural sphere. This cooperation reinforces the company’s commitment to the arts as part of its broader social engagement.
Artists: Emma Adler, Jane Alexander, Farah Al Qasimi, Francis Alÿs, Leonor Antunes, Pia Camil, Nicole Chaput, Clément Cogitore, Cao Fei, David Goldblatt, Wu Hao, Isaac Julien, Alicja Kwade, Enrique López Llamas, Robert Mapplethorpe, Jorge Méndez Blake, Zanele Muholi, Ann-Kathrin Müller, Berenice Olmedo, Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, Chantal Peñalosa Fong, Elodie Pong, Naomi Rincón Gallardo, Bárbara Sánchez-Kane, Lerato Shadi, Dayanita Singh, Pamela Singh, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Martin Soto Climent, Tercerunquinto, Frieda Toranzo Jaeger, Theresa Weber
Installation views: BE-LONGING. An exhibition of the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection in Mexico City, 2025 © Courtesy the artists, photos: Ramiro Chaves
Press Images:
1. Naomi Rincón Gallardo, Resiliencia Tlacuache, 2019, video (videostill) © Courtesy the artist, photo: Claudia López Terroso
2. Clément Cogitore, Les Indes Galantes, 2017, video (videostill), Mercedes-Benz Art Collection © Courtesy the artist
3. Francis Alÿs, Paradox of Praxis 1 (Sometimes Making Something Leads to Nothing), 1997, documentation of an action, video (videostill) © Courtesy the artist
4. Cao Fei, My Future is not a Dream, 2006, c-print, Mercedes-Benz Art Collection © Courtesy the artist
5. Enrique López Llamas, El otro protagonista de la noche, 2024-2025, video (videostill) © Courtesy the artist and LLANO (Mexico City)
6. Theresa Weber, Cosmic Vortex, 2024, material collage on wood, Mercedes-Benz Art Collection © Courtesy the artist, photo: Heinrich Holtgreve.
The use of these photos is only permitted in connection with editorial coverage of the exhibition BE-LONGING from May 30 to August 31, 2025 at Espacio CDMX.