A major exhibition titled 'El Galeón Acapulco – Manila Somos Pacífico: El Mundo que emergió del Trópico' has opened at the Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City. It features 300 works, including 80 from Singapore's national collections, exploring the centuries-old cultural and economic exchange between Asia and the Americas facilitated by the Manila Galleon trade route. The show was launched to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Mexico-Singapore diplomatic relations and a state visit by Singapore's president.
The exhibition challenges Eurocentric art historical narratives by highlighting connections and parallel modernisms across the Pacific. It positions Mexico City and Manila as central hubs in a global trade network, arguing that the Global South has its own shared cultural histories and aesthetic strategies. The show aims to demonstrate how art and culture serve as universal connectors in a fragmented world, emphasizing the lasting legacy of the galleon trade in contemporary life, from language to cuisine.