Osvaldo Sánchez, Renowned Poet, Curator and Art Critic, Passes Away

September 9, 2025

Cuban Osvaldo Sánchez Crespo, considered a key figure in the history of contemporary art in Mexico, passed away this Saturday at the age of 67 in the city of Mérida, Yucatán, according to several media outlets in that nation.

Sánchez Crespo, who was born in Havana in 1958 and arrived in Mexico in 1990, suffered from cancer, according to a report published by the newspaper El Universal.

His "work leaves an indelible mark on the history of contemporary art in Mexico," declared the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL), through its account on X.

The institution highlighted the poet, curator and art critic for his "innovative vision, intellectual rigor and commitment to national artistic production," as well as for his projection that "opened paths for different generations of artists, curators, managers and researchers in our country".

Since his arrival in Mexico, Sánchez Crespo began important work that led him to assume the directorship of the Carrillo Gil Art Museum (1997-2000), one of the institutions of this type that he directed throughout his career.

He also headed the Rufino Tamayo Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Modern Art (2007-2012), the media notes.

His work went beyond the leadership of these important cultural centers in the country, as he was also a co-founder of the Patronage of Contemporary Art in Mexico.

Furthermore, his impact transcended Mexican borders, as he was part of the Selection Committee of the Curator of Documenta 14, Kasel, as well as the Advisory Committee of Haus der Kulturen der Welt, in Berlin (2008-2016).

The distinguished intellectual also served as a visiting professor at the Superior School of Art of Yucatán (2013-2014) and directed Casa Gallina, a cultural space of which he became an Honorary Member of the Board of Directors.

The publication emphasizes that the death of Osvaldo Sánchez was mourned by figures from Mexican culture, including Ana Elena Mallet, a curator specializing in design.

"Mentor, friend, essential figure in my formation and that of many generations of managers and curators in Mexico and beyond (...). I will miss his clarity, his generosity, his humor, his composure and his conviction," wrote the specialist on her social networks.

Marisol Argüelles, director of the Carrillo Gil Art Museum; Alfonso Miranda, director of the Soumaya Museum, and institutions such as Cultura UNAM and the System of Support for Creation, were other personalities and institutions that offered their condolences for his passing.