Mensaje dorado 1974

Mathias Goeritz created this square gold panel, titled "Mensaje Dorado," as part of his exploration of what he called "Emotional Architecture". Goeritz, active in Mexico from the 1940s, sought to move beyond functionalist modernism. Instead, he wanted to create spaces and artworks that triggered spiritual and emotional responses. Gold, with its long history of association with divinity and transcendence, played a key role in his project. Think of the gilded surfaces of medieval altarpieces, or the golden idols of pre-Columbian cultures. By using gold in a minimalist, abstract form, Goeritz invites viewers to contemplate the symbolic weight of the material itself. To understand his work fully, we need to look at the cultural and institutional contexts in which he was working, including the legacy of Mexican muralism and the rise of abstract art in the postwar period. Careful research into these areas reveals how artists can question prevailing aesthetic norms and tap into deep-seated cultural meanings.