Mexico's National Anthropology Museum launches 'Tlachtli' exhibition on sacred ballgame

The Secretariat of Culture, led by Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza, inaugurated the exhibition “Tlachtli – Espacios del juego sagrado” at Mexico’s National Anthropology Museum on 2 July 2026. The show, running until 2 August 2026, features 24 photographs by visual artist Santiago Arau and ten archaeological objects that illustrate the pre‑Hispanic ritual of the ballgame. Curiel de Icaza highlighted the exhibit’s role in expanding cultural programming beyond modern football, linking Mexico’s ancient pelota traditions to contemporary cultural identity. Director of the INAH, Omar Vázquez Herrera, described the display as a new reading of territory and heritage, while the exhibition also includes a female sculpture from Veracruz that underscores women’s social relevance in pre‑colonial ritual contexts.

The project is organized by the Secretariat of Culture through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and aims to deepen public understanding of the historic ballcourt as a central element of Mesoamerican architecture, religion, and sport.