Art Exhibits at OAX Airport in San Juan Bautista la Raya, Mexico

All Mexico San Juan Bautista la Raya Art Exhibits at OAX Airport It makes sense that this airport, serving one of Mexico's most artistic cities, also doubles as a gallery. A stag outside the terminal. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User The Zapotec god Cosijo (also spelled Cocijo). linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Tree of Life with turtledoves. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Tree of Life with hummingbirds. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Can’t miss a Día de Muertos display in October/November. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User A stag outside the terminal. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User The Zapotec god Cosijo (also spelled Cocijo). linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Tree of Life with turtledoves. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Tree of Life with hummingbirds. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Can’t miss a Día de Muertos display in October/November. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User A stag outside the terminal. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User The Zapotec god Cosijo (also spelled Cocijo). linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Tree of Life with turtledoves. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Tree of Life with hummingbirds. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Can’t miss a Día de Muertos display in October/November. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User A stag outside the terminal. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User The Zapotec god Cosijo (also spelled Cocijo). linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Tree of Life with turtledoves. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Tree of Life with hummingbirds. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User Can’t miss a Día de Muertos display in October/November. linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User The state of Oaxaca in Mexico's south is often considered one of the country's main artistic hubs. Its diversity in nature and indigenous cultures has created an atmosphere of inspiration for creative endavors.

In the capital city of the same name, known fully as Oaxaca de Juárez, perhaps the clearest examples are its booming gastronomic and graphic arts scenes. While it seems that the first airplane to land near Oaxaca City did so in 1922, it wouldn't be until 1940 that an airport would be built to service it. With its official name being Aeropuerto Internacional de Xoxocotlán, its latest renovation started in 2019 and wouldn't be finished until several years later, given closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rufino Tamayo and Rodolfo Morales, known for their murals and paintings; along with Francisco Toledo, who worked several mediums but is perhaps best-known for his prints, are probably the most relevant artists from Oaxaca to gave developed their careers in the 20th century. Their legacy in the city includes a great affinity for murals and its reputation as the country's printmakers' capital, creating a major field of expression for Oaxacans in the 21st century. However, when the time came for Xoxocotlán Airport to start reflecting this, sculpture would be favored over graphic arts given its monumentality.

It is likely that the art displays started in 2018 with works by the collective La Barda de Adobe and artist Manuel Miguel. Since then, there have been exhibits by other Oaxaca-based creatives, from Alberto Aragón Reyes's sculptures made out of recycled materials, to Fernando Andriacci's psychedelic, multicolored animals. From 2024, Patricio Santiago was the featured sculptor, his works mostly made out of cantera stone, including the green-hued typethat defines Oaxaca City.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter. Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Most of the artworks are found landside (before the security filters) and therefore visible even for non-travelers.

The airport is not 24 hours, so access to the car park and terminal might not be permitted outsidethe times of scheduled flights. Patricio Santiago's works are still on display as of early 2025. Only a few of his sculptures can be seen exclusively from the airside end (past security filters).