Art Spaces

When people ask me about the "art scene" in Mexico City, the first thing that comes to mind is the variety of unusual exhibition spaces. The city has such a diverse architectural history, from Baroque to Beaux-Arts to Art Deco, that a gallery's unique character often competes with the artwork on display. Here are three examples of art institutions in the DF:

El Eco

Architect Mathias Goeritz built El Eco in 1953 as a center for experimental and performance art. It was abandoned for some time but re-instituted as a top notch contemporary art center in 2005. Goeritz coined the term "emotional architecture", and it's said that he designed the building as it was being constructed, like a giant sculpture. If he thought a wall was too high, he'd tell the construction crew to cut it down a bit. Needless to say, there isn't a right angle in the whole building.

Laboratorio Arte Alameda

Arte Alameda shows mostly video and interactive installation in this dramatic setting. The church compound was built in 1590 and has been beautifully preserved/reformatted as a contemporary art museum. The soaring spaces and cool, meditative atmosphere offer a much needed escape from the insanity downtown.

The Jumex Collection

The Jumex Collection is the most influential private art collection in Latin America (Jumex is a fruit juice company). They collect/promote Mexican art-stars like Francis Alys and Gabriel Orozco. The exhibition space itself is rather generic, but it's located in the middle of a factory in a remote industrial park. We took the metro to the end of the line and then a small green van out to the site. We had to bring photo-ID to get through the various security checkpoints before finally seeing the show. The whole process was just ridiculous.

BTW, did you know that conceptual artist On Kawara (featured in The Jumex Collection) lived and worked in Mexico City for a few years before moving to New York? I had no idea.

-PJ