Alejandro Cartagena photographs Mexico's suburban sprawl, its overloaded commuter trucks, and the concrete border wall, then just as often abandons the camera entirely for collage, found photography or AI-generated video. Ground Rules, his first major retrospective, arrives at Fundación MAPFRE from 6 June to 30 August 2026 after opening at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, gathering more than two decades of work by the Monterrey-based, Dominican-born photographer.
What it is
Curated by Shana Lopes of SFMOMA, the show is organised by series rather than chronology, reflecting how Cartagena himself works: through accumulation, repetition and variation rather than single decisive images. The exhibition covers his best-known bodies of work — Suburbia Mexicana, documenting the sprawl of housing developments around Monterrey; Carpoolers, aerial shots of pickup trucks packed with workers commuting to construction sites; and pieces addressing the US-Mexico border, informal housing, and rising economic inequality across North America.
Cartagena's range is unusually wide for a photographer of his generation: documentary images sit alongside collage, appropriated vernacular photographs, NFTs and AI-generated video, all pointed at the same questions about migration, housing and urban development. The exhibition also includes a selection of photobooks that influenced his practice, alongside his own published volumes.
Why it's worth attending
Few photographers working today move this freely between documentary rigour and formal experimentation, and seeing two decades of that range in one retrospective clarifies how the different bodies of work talk to each other. The subject matter — economic precarity, forced migration, environmental degradation — is not easy viewing, and some sections (the AI-generated pieces in particular) sit awkwardly next to the more straightforward documentary series, which may frustrate visitors expecting stylistic consistency. Combine with the adjoining Richard Avedon exhibition, included in the same ticket, for a fuller visit.
Practical info
Dates: 6 June – 30 August 2026. General admission €5, reduced €3; free entry Mondays 14:00–20:00 (non-holidays). Opening hours: Monday 14:00–20:00; Tuesday to Saturday 11:00–20:00; Sunday and public holidays 11:00–19:00. Nearest metro: Banco de España or Colón.
FAQ
Is the ticket shared with the Richard Avedon exhibition?
Yes, general admission covers both Ground Rules and In the American West, showing concurrently at the same venue.
Is the exhibition only documentary photography?
No — it also includes collage, appropriated images, NFTs and AI-generated video alongside more traditional documentary work.
Where did the exhibition originate?
It was co-organised with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where it was shown before travelling to Madrid.
Is there a catalogue?
Yes, a bilingual monograph titled Ground Rules accompanies the exhibition, with contributions from several writers and curators.
When is entry free?
Mondays from 14:00 to 20:00 (excluding public holidays).
