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SHOP ISTANBUL MAKING THE CUT FASHION TAKES ON SAVILE ROW STYLE PULSE WHAT WORKS FOR FALL Move over, Miami. Mexico City, the very heart of Mexico and that other great gateway to all of Latin America, has become one of the art world’s most vibrant creative centres, with an ever-expanding art market and a solid base of superb museums, galleries, and year-round cultural attractions. Buoyed by the renaissance of architecturally rich dis- tricts like Condesa, an art deco jewel, and the bustling Centro Histórico, the city’s land- mark-filled downtown—proud symbols of local developers’, designers’, and artists’ entrepreneurial energy—the Mexican capital has launched an international art fair, too: México Arte Contemporáneo (MACO). As Mexico’s artistic, economic, and political nerve centre, Mexico City is a place of richly overlapping (some might say constantly colliding) cultures: ancient and modern; indigenous, European, and North American. For art- makers and art lovers alike, this potent mixture of energies and influences—of time rushing forward in la vida loca and history surging forth at every turn—has become the intriguing, irresistible essence of Mexico City’s 21st-century allure. Read on for an overview of Mexico City’s art scene. The time-pressed can focus on the short lists of artists and galleries.

Mexican Art, ThenWith roots andin a figurative Now art Numerous artists in Mexico, tradition that stretched back aware of what their modernist to ancient Mesoamerican peers in Europe and North carvings, the great social- America were up to, chafed at realist muralists of the early government support of the 20th century—Diego Rivera, stylized mural painters. The José Clemente Orozco, David late-1950s “Rupture genera- Alfaro Siqueiros—produced tion” movement, led by MEXICO some of Mexico’s most painter-printmaker José Luis Art dealers Eduardo emblematic art, often cen- Cuevas, encouraged them to Mier y Terán (left) of tered on political and histori- break with the muralists’ aes- Terreno Baldío Arte cal themes. Mexican surreal- thetics and doctrines and and Santiago Toca ists, including Remedios explore more individualistic, at the studio of sculptor Varo, from Spain, and expressionistic modes. In the Javier Marín Leonora Carrington, from 1990s, artist Gabriel Orozco’s Britain, produced paintings international success helped whose air of fantasy had an open the floodgates to a tide CITY affinity with a local sensibili- of conceptualist strategies Mining for in an emerging art capital ty shaped by myth, supersti- that still prevail in contempo- tion, and a penchant for rary Mexican art. TEXT AND PHOTOShot BY new EDWARD stars M. GÓMEZ melodrama. CREDIT

198 FALL 2007 199 sumer culture are some of the 7319) and LA REFACCIONARIA big influences on the young (Bucareli 128 E-40, Centro; artists whose works are shown 55/5512-0012) are two recently here, including Humberto opened spaces showcasing a Duque’s watercolours and goofy wide range of conceptualist and mixed-media constructions sometimes pop-flavoured emerg- (Álvaro Obregón 49, Roma; ing artists’ works. La Refaccio- 55/5207-9858). naria is housed in the renovated INTERART Armando Zesatti’s former stable of a palatial 1922 hyperrealist landscapes are building that architecture buffs among this chic gallery’s biggest should not miss. Liliana Ramales, hits (Dickens 33-C, Polanco; a maker of wildly coloured paint- 55/5282-2001). ings and mixed-media installa- KBK ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO tions—like Cosmic (2007), con- Argentine dealer Ubaldo Kramer sisting of 96 enamel-painted shows sculpture by Darío coconuts—is one of the gallery’s Escobar and drawings and rising stars. mixed-media installations by SANTIAGO TOCA ART Moris, a young Mexican who CONSULTING A by-appointment finds inspiration in street ven- gallery with a penchant for new Renato Garza Cervera, whose dors’ stalls and do-it-yourself forms of abstraction, like the Escape (2005) is a wall-mounted shelters. Escobar, a Guatemalan, texture-rich canvases and works cross from which a furtive Christ covers skateboards and baseball on paper of the Spanish- Cool has descended (Lord Byron 53, bats in silver, using decorative Mexican painter Jordi Boldó galleries Polanco; 55/5281-3674). embossing techniques that (Avenida México 33, Interior F, Galleries in Mexico City are GALERÍA EL ESTUDIO Work evoke the over-the-top stylings Condesa; 55/5256-0868). more spread out than they are by emerging artists and, for of the region’s Spanish-baroque TERRENO BALDÍO ARTE in New York or Paris, but many Leonora Carrington fans, works past (Petrarca 239-8, Polanco; Javier Marín, one of Mexico’s are located in the northwestern on paper by the legendary artist, 55/5250-7147). leading contemporary sculptors, colonia of Polanco and, just to now 90, who lives in the neigh- KURIMANZUTTO This itinerant shows figurative work in bronze, the south, in Roma. Among the bourhood (Álvaro Obregón 73, gallery has no permanent exhibi- clay, and resin at this much- hottest venues: Roma; 55/5525-1339). tion space but instead helps watched young gallery, which ALFREDO GINOCCHIO ARTE GALERÍA ENRIQUE GUERRERO artists present their creations in he co-founded. Also featured: INTERNACIONAL Formerly Praxis Artemio, a mixed-media artist unusual locations—a fresh-food sculptor Héctor Velázquez’s Arte Internacional, this outpost who works in metal or neon or market, an amusement park— eerily beautiful yarn-covered for emerging and established with found materials, and Jésica and at international art venues. human forms—heads, hands, Mexican contemporary artists López, who paints portraits Its stars include Gabriel Orozco, and mysterious, gaping mouths Gabriel Orozco at offers atmospheric photos of in acrylic on yellow legal-pad Damián Ortega, and Miguel (Orizaba 87, Roma; 55/5511- SHORT LIST: ARTISTS Kurimanzutto. Behind photo-projections by Graciela paper, are among the stars of Calderón, all of whom work in 6440). MIGUEL CALDERÓN, multimedia conceptual- him are two of his Fuentes, painter Ofill Eche- this gallery, which is also a good conceptualist modes. The gallery TRAEGER & PINTO Shows by ist, Kurimanzutto. paintings titled varría’s frozen-moment urban source for works by well-known has also worked with “Dr. an eclectic mix of local and DARÍO ESCOBAR, mixed-media sculptor, Samurai Tree. scenes, and Hugo Lugo’s paint- Mexican modernists (Horacio Lakra” (Jerónimo López foreign artists change frequently KBK Arte Contemporáneo. ings of men in suits confronting 1549, Polanco; 55/5280-2941). Ramírez), a tattoo artist who here. One of dealers Gerardo DANIEL LEZAMA, painter of postmodernist, giant extension cords or Rubik’s GALERÍA NINA MENOCAL embellishes pages from 1950s Traeger and Eduardo Pinto’s allegorical history paintings, OMR. Cubes (Arquímedes 175, (Zacatecas 93, Roma; 55/5564- girlie and wrestling magazines. recent discoveries, whose star JAVIER MARÍN, figurative sculptor, Polanco; 55/5254-8813). 7209), with its strong ties to Among his admirers: mega- is rising fast (he just had a first Terreno Baldío Arte. ARRÓNIZ ARTE CONTEMPO- Cuba, and OMR (Plaza Río de collector Charles Saatchi, who solo show in Spain): 20-some- GABRIEL OROZCO, multimedia conceptual- RÁNEO A new gallery specializ- Janeiro 54, Roma; 55/5511- has bought batches of the thing Fernando Moreno, who ist, Kurimanzutto. ing in contemporary prints 1179) are mainstays of concep- “doctor’s” works for his London is based in Mexico City and HÉCTOR VELÁZQUEZ, mixed-media sculptor, (Plaza Río de Janeiro 53, Roma; tualist work from Mexico and collection (55/5286-3059 or makes simple, dreamy pen- Terreno Baldío Arte. 55/5511-7965). overseas. kurimanzutto.com). and-ink drawings on paper ARMANDO ZESATTI, hyperrealist painter, EDS GALERÍA An outlet for GARASH GALERÍA Rock music, PROYECTOS MONCLAVA (Colima 179, Roma; 55/5525- Interart. comics, urban life, and con- (Colima 244, Roma; 55/5506- 4500). ISADORA HASTINGS/KURIMANZUTTO. HELÚ: KEITHDANNEMILLER/ALAMY. cheeky conceptualists like

Carlos Slim Entrance to Terreno Alfredo Ginocchio; Galería El Estudio Galería Nina Garash Galería sign OMR Helú Baldío Arte artist Ofill Menocal Echevarría (right)

200 201 They’ve gotta Save the

haveMexico City’s it most active collec- The Lebanese-Mexican business- “Tamayo:dates A Modern Icon tors tend to be tight-lipped man Carlos Slim Helú is also a Reinterpreted,” a career-span- about their holdings—but not prominent collector; many of his Market ning retrospective, opens at the Eugenio López Alonso, scion of acquisitions can be seen at the Rufino Tamayo Museum on the Jumex fruit juice company SOUMAYA MUSEUM. Located in values October 26 (and runs through and founder of the JUMEX the southern part of the city, the Works by emerging Mexican January 21, 2008). Since FOUNDATION/COLLECTION. museum is named after Slim’s artists and even those who are advance publicity for Based in Mexico City and Los late wife and houses an in- well-established in early phases many exhibitions can be limited, Angeles, López has amassed depth Auguste Rodin collection of their careers are affordable. look for the latest edition more than 1,000 works by inter- and European paintings from Prices range from less than of the bimonthly Arte al Día or national art stars and Latin- the 15th through the 18th cen- US$1,000 to around $2,500 for for the free “Mapa de Galerías” American contemporary artists. turies. Works on view by mod- many drawings, small paint- map/calendar (available in At this year’s MACO, his organi- ern masters include those of ings, or photographs, and hotels and galleries or at zation scooped up works by Picasso, Dalí, Siqueiros, and $4,000 and up for paintings by, arte-mexico.com). such Mexican artists as Laureana Rivera (Plaza Loreto, corner of for example, the wry surrealist MACO, only five years old, Toledo, a photographer, Minerva Avenida Revolución and Río Hugo Lugo. Armando Zesatti’s quickly became the high point Cuevas, a multimedia conceptu- Magdalena, Tizapán, San Ángel; canvases have reached $50,000 of the Mexico City art scene’s alist, and Daniel Guzmán, a cre- 55/5616-3731). Like Jumex’s at auction, and pieces by an annual calendar and a new, ator of installations consisting of López, Mexico City–based David international star like Gabriel must-go event for globe-trotting drawings, newspaper clippings, Cohen is a young collector who Orozco can sell for much more. dealers and collectors. Featuring and text scraps. López’s corpo- also looks to the region and Works by Mexican modernist more than 70 galleries from rate collection is housed in a beyond for what moves him. masters like Francisco Toledo Mexico and the rest of Latin building on the Jumex factory Although his “Iris Collection,” may be priced in the hundreds America, Europe, and the U.S., grounds north of the capital and named for his mother, is not on of thousands or fetch millions MACO takes place during the is open by appointment; the public display, Cohen has cer- at auction, as did Frida Kahlo’s first week of May. Still carving Jumex Foundation/Collection tainly become known to local Roots, a 1943 canvas that sold out its own identity in compari- plans to build an annexe in art dealers. His holdings include for $5.6 million last year. son to other, longer-running Polanco in the near future pieces by Chuck Close, Anselm international fairs, MACO has (Vía Morelos 272, Ecatepec de Kiefer, Andy Warhol, Kendell become known as a showcase Morelos, Estado de México; Geers (South Africa), and for fresh talent from Mexico and 55/5775-8188). Ernesto Neto (Brazil). Latin America (macomexico. com). FOTOSEPTIEMBRE, a month- long festival of photography exhibitions in galleries, muse- ums, and offbeat venues throughout the city, takes place during September. For informa- tion on the 2008 event, check with the downtown CENTRO DE LA IMÁGEN (Plaza de la Ciudadela 2, Centro; 55/9172- 4724), which presented a key exhibition in the 2007 event.

At the Soumaya Museum: Detail of SHORT LIST: GALLERIES Still Life (1954), GARASH GALERÍA, in the Roma district, a mural-sized for urban-influenced work by early-career painting by Rufino artists. Tamayo. KBK ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO, in Polanco, for emerging and established artists from Mexico and Central America. LA REFACCIONARIA, in Centro, for edgy mixed media pieces, sculpture, and other Drawings by Painted poodle (artist work by emerging artists. Argentine artist unknown) on Avenida Alvaro OMR, in Roma, a solid source for conceptu- José Luis Landet at Obregón. Right: Proyectos alist art from Mexico and overseas. Arróniz Art Monclava exhibition space PROYECTOS MONCLOVA, in Roma, for Contemporáneo at México Arte conceptualist and pop-flavoured works. Contemporáneo TERRENO BALDÍO ARTE, in Roma, a much- watched young gallery co-founded by sculptor Javier Marín.

202 FALL 2007 203 Must-seeFor a sense of the broader Museums historical context in which artists in Mexico are work- ing today, don’t miss: FINE ARTS PALACE This luxurious art deco pile of Carrara marble dating from 1904 houses Rivera murals and is a venue for temporary modern art exhibitions (Avenida Juárez and Eje Lázaro Cárdenas, Centro; 55/5512-2593). FRIDA KAHLO HOUSE For devotees of the Kahlo cult, a pilgrimage to her home in the south of the capital, now a museum, is de rigueur (Londres 247, Coyoacán; 55/5554-5999). MUSEUM OF MODERN ART The repository of a treasure trove of Mexican mod- ernism, it displays works by Rivera, Kahlo, José Clemente Orozco, Siqueiros, Carrington, Rufino Tamayo, and Francisco Toledo (Paseo de la Reforma and Gandhi, Chapultepec Park; 55/5211-8331). NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART This renovated palacio houses a definitive collection of paintings and other works from the Spanish-colonial era through the mid-1900s. Of special interest: state-of-the-art galleries for drawings and prints, including engravings by the 19th-century caricaturist José Guadalupe Posada (Tacuba 8, Centro; 55/5130-3400). NATIONAL PALACE Here are Diego Rivera’s spectacular murals depicting Mexico’s long, complex history. This landmark building in the downtown historic district faces Plaza de la Constitución, the city’s vast central plaza, commonly known as the Zócalo (east side of the Zócalo, Centro; 55/5764-8500). RUFINO TAMAYO MUSEUM Across the street from the Museum of Modern Art, the Tamayo presents internationally renowned Mexican and foreign artists’ works Where the Art (Paseo de la Reforma and Gandhi, Chapultepec Park; 55/5286-6519).

WorldCompared to Americans, Eats chi- include cocoa-crusted DELIRIO Chef Mónica Patiño’s Alvaro Obregón 130, Pasaje langos (Mexico City residents) venison with bananas and year-old gourmet food and El Parián; 55/5574-8577). eat lunch and dinner late; the esquites (Petrarca 254; wine shop and café offers RESTAURANTE CASA LAMM midday meal can start around 55/5545-4111). light daily specials for The restaurant of the Casa 3:00 p.m., and dinner as late gallery-hoppers (Monterrey Lamm Cultural Centre is a as 10. The following hot 116; 55/5584-0870). glass-box pavilion that juts spots are art world favourites CAFÉCondesa LA GLORÍA, a bistro LA ANTIGUA CORTESANA out into the garden court- for lunch or dinner. founded by an artist, offers revisits Mexican classics in yard of a century-old Euro- a Mediterranean menu, zesty ways. A main-dish deli- pean-style mansion and still a rarity in Mexico City. cacy: fusilli in a dark sauce offers such delicacies as IZOTEPolancoMaster chef Patricia Its walls provide space for art made from huitlacoche, the coconut-crusted giant shrimp UP & COMERS Quintana’s flagship restau- shows (Vicente Suárez 41; corn fungus called the Mexi- with mango sauce (Avenida DR. LAKRA, tattoo artist who makes drawings rant lures Mexican-food con- 55/5211-4180). can truffle (Chiapas 173-A; Alvaro Obregón 99, Roma; on old magazine pages, at Kurimanzutto. noisseurs, including dealers LA FLOR DE LYS An institu- 55/5584-4678). 55/1485-0104). JÉSICA LÓPEZ, painter of portraits on legal-pad and their clients. Quintana is tion since 1926, this simple NON SOLO BAR A great RESTAURANTE COVADONGA paper, at Galería Enrique Guerrero. an innovator who serves eatery offers a full menu location on a main avenue in In its upstairs dining room HUGO LUGO, post-pop painter, at Alfredo mole sauce with duck of Mexican classics and the Roma gallery district, (lunch only), this traditional Ginocchio Arte Internacional. FERNANDO MORENO, pen-and-ink drawings (instead of the usual chicken) is famous for its mouth- European-bistro fare, and, restaurant’s Spanish and artist and painter, at Traeger & Pinto. Rufino Tamayo Museum. Below: and a tangy ceviche with watering tamales (Huichapan at night, the lounge-groovy Mexican delicacies include La MORIS, mixed-media installation artist, at KBK Entrance to the permanent collection tangerine juice (Presidente 17; 55/5286-0811). sounds of a live DJ have Mancha–style garlic soup, Arte Contemporáneo. of the Museum of Modern Art. Masaryk 513; 55/5280-1671). made this small bar-restau- paella, and huachinango (red LILIANA RAMALES, painter and mixed-media Opposite: Casa Lamm Cultural PUJOL Young superchef rant a favorite haunt of snapper) in the Veracruz installation artist, at La Refaccionaria. Centre; daily specials at Delirio. Enrique Olvera’s delicacies CARAVANSERAÏRoma MAISON artists, designers, and other style. Covadonga’s first-floor FRANÇAISE DE THÉ This purveyors of cool (Avenida cantina (dinner and evening tearoom run by a young service only) offers the same Frenchman, with its retro-chic menu in a setting that recalls décor, is a popular hangout an old Buñuel film (Puebla for artists and their amigos 121, Roma; 55/5533-2922). (Orizaba 101-A; 55/5511-2877).

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