This week marks the 15th edition of ZONAMACO, the premiere contemporary art fair of Mexico. This year, the fair gathers 170 international dealers and a staggering 60,000 visitors to take a gander at the wares of such galleries as Bortolami, David Zwirner, and Marian Goodman Gallery, to name a few. Crowded booths don’t sound like your thing? In that case, use our guide to hit the streets and find out what local exhibitions have to offer.
Start off strong by visiting kurimanzutto, and take in the solo show of German artist Nairy Baghramian. In her Maintainers series, the sculptor has created a variety of discreet cuboid objects that imply a utilitarian function, but one that remains elusive—go see them in person to see if you can suss it out. Another stand-out is “Mothers of Men,” a three-artist group show at GAGA featuring the killer line-up of Moyra Davey, R.H. Quaytman, and Vivian Suter. Then, check out Museo Jumex’s charmingly titled “Learning to Read with John Baldessari.” This major retrospective includes over 80 works and spans the Californian artist’s entire career, and so fans of his work cannot afford to miss out.
Whatever you do, as you move from venue to venue, be sure keep an eye out for six poetic Felix Gonzalez-Torres billboards scattered throughout the city. They appear when you least expect it, and are a welcome breath of fresh air amid the hubbub of one of the largest cities in the world. Just as the artist intended, I suspect.
Find artnet’s full list of picks below, and happy art hunting.
Exhibition: “Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Untitled”
When: January–Feburary, 2018
Where: Sonora 128, six locations, Mexico City, Mexico
Nairy Bagramian, Maintainers (2017). Courtesy of kurimanzutto.
Exhibition: “Nairy Baghramian: Maintainers”
When: February 10–March 3, 2018
Where: kurimanzutto, Gob. Rafael Rebollar 94, Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico City, Mexico
Pedro Reyes. Courtesy of LABOR.
Exhibition: “Pedro Reyes: Música para litófonos”
When: February 3–March 31, 2018
Where: LABOR, Francisco Ramírez 5, Col. Daniel Garza
Gabriel de la Mora, Pomona 42 I (2017). Courtesy of PROYECTOSMONCLOVA.
Exhibition: “Gabriel de la Mora: Entropías”
When: February 6–March 10, 2018
Where: PROYECTOSMONCLOVA, Colima 55 Roma Norte, Mexico City, Mexico
Lulu project space. Courtesy of Lulu.
Exhibition: “The Lulennial II: A Low-Hanging Fruit”
When: February 2–March 4, 2018
Where: Lulu, Bajío 231, Colonia Roma, Mexico City, Mexico
Peter Buggenhout. Courtesy of La Galería Hilario Galguera.
Exhibition: “Peter Buggenhout: The Blind Leading the Blind”
When: October 27, 2017–February 11, 2018
Where: La Galería Hilario Galguera, Francisco Pimentel 3, San Rafael, Mexico City, Mexico
“Learning to Read with John Baldessari” installation view. Courtesy of Museo Jumex.
Exhibition: “Learning to Read with John Baldessari”
When: November 11, 2017–April 8, 2018
Where: Museo Jumex, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 303, Colonia Granada, Mexico City, Mexico
Jose Dávila. Courtesy of OMR Gallery.
Exhibition: “Jose Dávila: Mecánica de lo inestable”
When: February 6–March 24, 2018
Where: Galeria OMR, Cordoba 100, Roma Norte, Mexico City, Mexico
“Mothers of Men: Moyra Davey, R.H. Quaytman, Vivian Suter” installation view. Courtesy of GAGA.
Exhibition: “Mothers of Men: Moyra Davey, R.H. Quaytman, Vivian Suter”
When: January 13–February 24, 2018
Where: GAGA, Amsterdam 123, Colonia Condesa, Mexico City, Mexico
Mateo Saldena, Torso (c. 1892). Courtesy of Museo Nacional de Arte.
Exhibition: “Gliptoteca”
When: Ongoing
Where: Museu Nacional de Arte, Tacuba 8, Centro Histórico, Mexico City, Mexico
“Las apariencias engañan: los vestidos de Frida Kahlo” installation view. Courtesy of Museo Frida Kahlo.
Exhibition: “Las apariencias engañan: los vestidos de Frida Kahlo”
When: Ongoing
Where: Museo Frida Kahlo, Londres 247, Del Carmen Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico