Monumental Hydraulics: Diego Rivera’s Lerma Waterworks and the water temples of San Francisco

Water system infrastructure and the monuments that commemorate it in California and Mexico are evidence of similarities in their cultures’ water regimes. Mexico’s Lerma Waterworks site argues the importance of reliable water provision for Mexico City’s modern identity. The mid-20th c. architecture and the murals designed by Diego Rivera, entitled “Agua, Origen de la Vida,” narrate the journey of water as it flows continuously from the indigenous past and into the modern present. Along the way, Rivera represents water as bridging distinct locations, cultures, and social classes. This mythic rendering, however, does not account for today’s disparity in water access in the city today.