Red Queen

The exhibition Half of the World. Women in Indigenous Mexico is the largest exhibit about women in Indigenous Mexican cultures. An exhibition that is presented outside of Mexico for the first time and which will be open to the public until the first quarter of next year. Fans of art, culture and history must attend this unmissable event with Lady Tz'akbu Ajaw, better known as the Red Queen, discovered in1994 in Palenque (Chiapas). She can be admired at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. The exhibition consists of the stone sarcophagus of a 7th-century Mayan princess, containing a woman’s remains and a range of funerary offerings found covered in red pigment—specifically cinnabar, a mineral derived from mercury—, hence her title. This regalia, made up of several precious stones such as jade and malachite, as well as other elements made of seashell, coral and ceramics, helps us better understand Mayan funerary practices.

Iberia was the airline in charge of transporting the Red Queen, alongside more than 400 other valuable pieces, from Mexico City to Madrid last October. Among them, the statue of Citlāllīcuē, a Mexican goddess representing motherhood and fertility, stands out for its rich iconography. This is how Juan Manuel Garibay, the National Museum Coordinator in Mexico, summarizes it: “It is a piece that condenses an entire universe.” The boxes transporting the pieces, with a total weight of close to seven tonnes, arrived in Spain in four Iberia A350 planes. IAG Cargo, the freight transportation division from the group Iberia belongs to, was part of the move.

“With this project, we actively contribute to strengthening the friendship and cultural ties between Spain and Mexico” — Sonia Sánchez

“With this project, we actively contribute to strengthening the friendship and cultural ties between Spain and Mexico, as well as reaffirming our role as a bridge between Europe and Latin America,” celebrates Sonia Sánchez, Director of Communications, Institutional Relations and Social Impact at Iberia. Sonia reminds us that this work fully aligns with the company’s purpose: “At Iberia, we work every day to make our commitment come true: to generate wealth by connecting people and cultures around the world. This is why we are proud to be responsible for bringing this exhibition from Mexico City, one of our most iconic destinations in Latin America.” Camilo García, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at IAG Cargo, points out another key fact: “Whether we are dealing with works of art, historical objects or cultural treasures, our priority is always the same: to ensure that each article reaches its destination in a safe and timely manner.”

More than 400 pieces were transported from Mexico City to Madrid onboard four Iberia A350 aeroplanes.

Citlāllīcuē [‘The lady in the starry skirt’] is a Mexican goddess representing motherhood and fertility.

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The exhibition, curated by Karina Romero—from the National Institute of Anthropology and History in México—coincides with the declaration of 2025 as the Year of Indigenous Women in Mexico. A tribute to Indigenous women, the foundation and pillars of this cultural heritage, as the guardians of memory, languages, traditions and ancestral knowledge. As well as being present at the Museo Thyssen, the Red Queen exhibition is held at three other venues:

• The National Archaeological Museum hosts The Human Sphere, which explores the social context, highlighting the role of these women as part of the community as mothers, providers, healers, shamans, warriors and rulers.
• Casa de México presents The Divine Realm, which addresses the spirituality and rituals of these women, offering a diverse and collective perspective on female representations within the Indigenous worldview.
• The Cervantes Institute exhibits Woven Stories, highlighting textile production as a form of language and visual narrative through which Indigenous women transmit their history, their values and their vision of the world. An ancient practice that connects personal and collective identity.

This collaboration between Spain and Mexico will culminate with the second country’s participation in FITUR 2026 as a partner. An agreement influenced by Antón Leis, director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation: “This exhibition is one of the most ambitious cultural programmes developed through Spanish cooperation. This project seeks to bring together two countries, two peoples, while defending the role of the other half of the world, women, in history.” Antón also highlights the importance of fighting for the rights of Indigenous peoples in general and of Indigenous women in particular, both in Mexico and in the whole of Latin America.

“This project seeks to bring together two countries, two peoples, while defending the role of the other half of the world, women, in history” — Antón Lois

Furthermore, Juan Manuel Garibay—the aforementioned National Museum Coordinator in Mexico—describes the organization of this exhibition as “a monumental undertaking,” “a titanic endeavour,” to point out the value of the logistics that moving these pieces across the ocean entails. About the exhibition itself, Juan Manuel notes: “The narrative is structured from the female perspective as a concept that permeates all aspects of the daily lives of those cultures, that is, it contains all the activities carried out, both in terms of everyday practices and rituals.” Teresa Zacarías, cultural attaché of the Mexican Embassy in Spain, highlights the exhibition’s relevance: “It speaks of a rich past full of resistance, but also reflects the Indigenous women of today. It is not encapsulated in a specific time in history and shows our DNA from a female perspective.” A journey to the past that echoes in our present and has been possible thanks to the work of Iberia. Because connecting cultures generates prosperity.