John Giorno's First Mexico City Show Opens At Kurimanzutto

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The Kurimanzutto gallery in Mexico City is presenting“John Giorno: Life is a Killer,” the late poet's inaugural exhibition in the city, which opened on August 29, 2026. This marks Giorno's first major show in Mexico or his native New York since the 13-venue retrospective“I ♥ John Giorno” in 2017.

Giorno, an avant-garde artist, transformed poetry readings into multimedia events and made verse accessible through his 1968 project, Dial-A-Poem. The New York-based Giorno Foundation, which has managed Giorno Poetry Systems (GPS), his 61-year-old nonprofit, since his death in 2019, selected Kurimanzutto to represent his estate in 2024.

José Kuri, the gallery founder, and Corinna Durland, senior director, believe the artist is often overlooked. Kuri stated during a video call,“His work is so relevant to the moment, but he's a figure to be discovered, obviously in Mexico, but in so many latitudes. So, we're working on it.” Durland concurred, noting that Giorno's multifaceted practice defies easy categorization, which can be challenging for curators and the market.

The exhibition focuses on Giorno's black and white Poetry Paintings, which he began creating in the 2000s, alongside newer rainbow-hued versions. These works incorporate phrases from Giorno's poems, with four record players in the main gallery featuring records of Giorno's poetry released through GPS, including contributions from Allen Ginsberg and Patti Smith. Gallery artist Rirkrit Tiravanija, a collaborator of Giorno's, suggested the record player element. Visitors can select records as they wish. Durland commented,“Maybe it's harmonious, maybe it's total cacophony, maybe it's a conversation. That's very unpredictable, how that's going to unfold, and very open, which is very John.”

Across a courtyard, Kurimanzutto's project room is screening Tiravanija's 2008 film, Untitled (John Giorno Reads), a 10-hour presentation of Giorno reading his writings from the past 50 years. The gallery's bookstore is also featuring selections from Giorno's archive.

An elevated platform in the main gallery hosts a microphone for Saturday readings of Giorno's poetry, translated into Spanish by writers and activists during weekly meetings at La Americana, a cafe and bookstore in Condesa. Anthony Huberman, executive artistic director of GPS, explained via email,“There is a rich community of artists and poets in Mexico City, and one of our and Kurimanzutto's goals was to create a meaningful connection between John's work and the local context.”

The exhibition also connects with New York, where GPS will host a performance by Mexican singer La Bruja de Texcoco and Kurimanzutto artist Abraham Cruzvillegas. Cruzvillegas is also joining Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cristina Rivera Garza in conversation at Kurimanzutto Mexico City, inaugurating the festivities. According to Kurimanzutto, they will discuss“the potential of translation to take literature beyond the page.”

“John Giorno: Life is a Killer” is on view at Kurimanzutto, Gob. Rafael Rebollar 94, Mexico City, through October 10, 2026.

Source: Artnet News

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