Mexico City is more up-and-coming than ever. With its restaurants, nightlife, and booming art scene, it’s no wonder that the New York Times singled it out as its number one pick for places to visit in 2016. This weekend ZsONA MACO, Latin America’s biggest and most important contemporary art fair, descends on the city and brings with it a variety of exhibitions, events, and lectures. There’s no better time to explore the Mexican capital, and this guide will make sure you hit the best local galleries.
Kick things off at Galeria INTERART, where painter Luis Armando Zesatti presents a selection of new work. His trademark photorealism is on full display with these carefully rendered landscapes of rocky seashores, jungle plant life, and soaring cliffs. Next, be sure not to miss the latest exhibition by rising art star Korakrit Arunanondchai at Lodos gallery, opening tomorrow evening. Neither the gallery nor its mysterious press release give any indication what the work will look like, but—if his past efforts are any indication—Arunanondchai will have somehow struck the right balance of playful, trendy, and forward-thinking.
Head on over to Lulu gallery, which features the sculpture and installations of German artist Manfred Pernice. An omnivorous artist who uses cassette tapes, newspaper clippings, concrete, cloth, glass, and more, Pernice’s diverse body of work will inaugurate the gallery’s newest exhibition space. Lastly, don’t miss Luis Úrculo’s examination of the domestic sphere at Arredondo \ Arozarena, where the artist builds a personal language out of memories and personal objects under the title of Las Cosas.
There’s a lot to see out there, but luckily for you, Uber has recently arrived in Mexico City and will help you get from gallery to gallery. Call yourself a cab, and get moving.
Calixto Ramirez. Courtesy of Yautepec.
Exhibition: “Manca: Calixto Ramirez”
When: February 1–March 19, 2016
Where: Yautepec, Melchor Ocampo 154-A, Col. San Rafael Del. Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City, Mexico
Exhibition: “Armando Zesatti: Melodias del Viento”
When: February 2–26, 2016
Where: Galeria INTERART, Dickens 33-C, Mexico City, Mexico
Rodrigo Hernández. Courtesy of kurimanzutto.
Exhibition: “Every forest madly in love with the moon has a highway crossing it from one side to the other”
When: February 6–March 19, 2016
Where: kurimanzutto, Gob. Rafael Rebollar 94, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City, Mexico
Javier Marin. Courtesy of Terreno Baldío Arte.
Exhibition: “Javier Marin: Corpus Terra”
When: October 6–March 20, 2016
Where: Terreno Baldío Arte, multiple locations: Antiguo Colegiode San Ildefonso, Plaza Seminario, and Palacio de Cultura, Mexico City, Mexico
Exhibition: “Korakrit Arunanondchai: Dear Chantri…”
When: February 5–April 6, 2016
Where: Lodos Gallery, García Icazbalceta #30, Colonia San Rafael, Mexico City, Mexico
José León Cerrillo, Hotel Eden (2009). Courtesy of josé garcía ,mx.
Exhibition: “new grammar, double fault and the possible ones – José Léon Cerrillo”
When: February 2–May 1, 2016
Where: josé garcía ,mx, Dresde 2 Col. Juárez, Mexico City, Mexico
Luis Úrculo. Courtesy of Arredondo \ Arozarena.
Exhibition: “Luis Úrculo : Las Cosas”
When: February 2–May 7, 2016
Where: Arredondo \ Arozarena, Praga # 27 Col. Juarez, Mexico City, Mexico
Exhibition: “Terence Gower: Asociación Libre”
When: February 2–March 1, 2016
Where: LABOR, Gral. F. Ramirez 5, Daniel Garza, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City, Mexico
Manfred Pernice, Cassette 32 (2014). Courtesy of Lulu.
Exhibition: “Manfred Pernice”
When: February 6–April 3, 2016
Where: LULU, Bajio 231, Colonia Roma, Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City, Mexico
Andrew Birk. Courtesy of Anonymous Gallery.
Exhibition: “Andrew Birk: Callejero”
When: February 6–March 26, 2016
Where: Anonymous Gallery, Lago Erne 254 Col. Pensil, Mexico City, Mexico