“Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul.” – Dorothy Day, American journalist, social activist and anarchist

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 I do love our cultural excursions to Guadalajara for the great food and art to be discovered there. The latest trip was “O” so good, featuring Orozco art & Octo food; all good for one’s soul.

First comes the art. 2022 marks the 100^th anniversary year of Mexican Muralism. José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949), Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros are The Big Three masters of the genre, as they’ve been dubbed. The post-Mexican Revolution government sponsored murals so that viewers could see visual reminders of how important the political, nationalistic and social changes meant in Mexican history.

MUSA, Museo de las Artes, Universidad de Guadalajara … the Museum of the Arts of the University of Guadalajara, is home to magnificent murals by Orozco and has a current exhibit on his work. It’s located in the trendy Colonia Americana district; housed in a majestic building dating back to 1914, the time of the Mexican Revolution. It went through several governmental reinventions before officially becoming a museum in 1994.

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Its auditorium is now a permanent showcase for two of Orozco’s most important works, created when he had matured in his artistry. Painted from 1935-37, and titled: “The creative and rebellious man,” and “The people and their false leaders.” They’re located in the dome and stage walls of the Paraninfo, the auditorium where the university holds public events. More on this later.

When I attend an art exhibit, my eyes will first quickly scan the room with laser beam precision; zeroing in on a few key pieces; those are the artworks that attract my attention and require further exploration.  

Currently on display …

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Ricardo Martínez (1918-2009), show titled, “Un mexicanismo de contracorriente” – “A mexicanism towards rupture” … with your guess as good as mine as to its meaning.

This exhibit presented previously unseen pieces from a six-decade period. Martínez was a Mexican painter noted for his figurative work. His figures are generally oversized and/or of sensual nudes painted in muted shadings in a free-flowing manner. They have a soft, sculptural quality and the canvas barely contains their sensuality.

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His paintings employ abstract, colorful strokes, textures and other elements that really appealed to me. Basically, my initial scan technique was unnecessary, because I was captivated by all the art presented in this wonderful, lively exhibit.

“Metaphysical Orozco”– José Clemente Orozco’s murals in MUSA, are deconstructed and presented as a mini-immersive experience, a la the wildly popular, “Immersive Van Gogh” that’s been circling the planet. The format seems to be all the rage nowadays, appearing seemingly everywhere. Hello: Dali! Monet! Klimt! Picasso! Chagall! Frida! These all actually exist, folks. Coming soon to your city.

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The Orozco version is shown in a small, single space. Enter behind the curtains and the compactness of the room immediately overwhelms. The moving projection of his startling, vivid murals, seem to surround and envelop you, creating a dizzying feeling. David liked this fast-paced, gyrating, whirling world of the murals, but couldn’t stay too long with all the overstimulating sensations.

I love the work of Orozco. It’s powerful and moving. Startling and strong. Colorful and emotional. The rebelliousness of the artist, as sensed in his self-portrait, was most likely nourished from the Mexican Revolution (1910-17). It’s embodied in the dome’s imagery; consisting of the importance of the teacher, the student, the technician and a two-headed man, who represents the arts and sciences. The side walls show poverty and ignorance of the masses; the poor are shown as skeletal, mute and blind, raising their arms in helpless protest against the leaders. A blazing, fiery red ignites the background, a recurring theme in Orozco’s works, of a topsy-turvy world inconstant change and turmoil. How very 2022!

After departing MUSA, our minds overflowing with a renewed sense of art appreciation, we took a short, pleasant stroll to next door’s magnificent church for a quick look-see inside. The Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento (that’s a mouthful) is a soaring neo-Gothic church that sits on a small square. Its building began in 1897, and not completed until 1972.

A wedding was just concluding, so we stood outside and got a glimpse of the bride and groom as they exited to an awaiting vintage auto. The well-heeled wedding party gathered behind on the church’s portal in all their bright finery.

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With visions of a grand wedding feast feeding our minds, it was time for us to nourish our stomachs. OCTO Pescaderia, is a new seafood restaurant in a beautiful, earthy and organic setting. It’s located in Colonia Lafayette, bordering the Americana. Lots of architectural bricks, geometric black/white flooring, soft woods, plants and diffuse natural light makes for an inviting, relaxing environment.

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Food and service did not disappoint. It began with our first spotting of a prepared platter of a beautiful whole fish baked in salt, awaiting pickup as we walked by the open kitchen. Mmm … the seafood-oriented menu offered up many delicious options.

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I’m a New England Clam Chowder aficionado. If it’s on a menu, it’s on my order. Here, the Boston Clam Chowder is served in a crisp, freshly baked bread bowl, brimming with clams, potatoes and just the right amount of seasoning in a thick, white creamy chowder.

Shared a bowlful of steamed mussels, every shell tasting of the sea, and within every bite, a tiny piece of shallot enlivened it. They sat in a scrumptious sauce – as my chowder’s bread slowly decomposed, I sopped it up to its last drop. Tuna tartare, with bits of ginger, arrived crowned with tiny, cut “scales” of golden radishes, was fresh and scrumptious.

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Salmon Wellington, comes enrobed in a flaky, shell-like patterned pastry, and stuffed with a layer of perfectly chopped portobello mushrooms and spinach, sitting regally atop a parsnip puree, a perfectly sublime combination. And, for sure, the sensational crab burger, exploding with flavors, will be my first choice on the next visit.

The octopus, although perfectly grilled, and melting like butter in your mouth, was a tad bit under-seasoned; both the red piquant sauce and avocado crema added flavor, but a dash of salt would have elevated the dish. 

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Finally, a single dessert was enjoyed by John, a Mexican version of strawberries and rhubarb. He cleaned his plate while the rest of us watched, fully satiated and bursting at the seams.

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Art and Food. A pleasurable and winning combination that brings people together, stimulates and nourishes our souls. Guadalajara has endless opportunities to explore and partake of both; right here in our own backyard.