Mexico City Art Week 2024 in Review
On February 7—11, 2024, almost 30 members from Miami, New York, Chicago, and Montreal came together to celebrate CDMX art week with Commissioner. Led by local artists, curators, and culture bearers, this visit was grounded by our connection to the place and to each other. Angela Mictlanxochitl was our gracious host and collaborator.
Here’s the rundown of what we did. Photos are mostly by Jon Crisp with contributions by fellow travelers.
Gathering and weaving in Mexico City was not about the art, it was about tickling each other's hearts, re(membering) our senses, and experiencing territories that provoke thought through our lived experiences. By accepting the deep relationship of travel, guides, exhibition, and all the delights, we revived kinship, and our ceremony of healing and growing in community.
— Angela Mictlanxochitl
Kickoff cocktail at Hotel San Fernando, and Fragmented States, a performance by Carlos Amorales at Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros.
At the home studio of artist Pedro Reyes and fashion designer Carla Fernández in Coyoacán.
Since 2017, Angela Mictlanxochitl has opened her home for a potluck dinner to invitees local and abroad. This year, we collaborated to commission our first-ever piñata.
Held in Coyoacán, our special soirée was held at a repurposed hacienda with a deep Mexican creative history. The actual center of CDMX and known by many for Frida Kahlo, over the decades, the neighborhood has served as a home and refuge to artists and agitators of all kinds.
The evening included an opening ceremony with words by Angela and sounds by Enrique Arriaga Celis, a menu co-curated by the remarkable Jillian Knox, and tunes by Mexico City's musical anthropologist and legend, Tropicaza.
Zona Maco, Salón Acme, and Material Art Fair explored through the lens of local artists and guides Enrique Arriaga Celis and José Luis “Pepe” Arroyo-Robles.
Exploring art week in this way—with curators and artists based in or working out of Mexico City—allowed us to see the landscape from their eyes and ask questions about the local ecosystems. We also visited our peoples with booths at the fairs, like commissioned artist Isabella Mellado and Miami artists Gonzalo Fernandez and Kerry Phillips.
Commissioner Dinner at Masala y Maiz by Chefs Norma & Saqib in Juárez. Think cultural food ways and political movements between South Asia, East Africa and Mexico.
Playing with observation and watercolors in La Condesa’s Parque Mexico with artist Diana Barquero Pérez.
La Laguna, an old textile factory transformed by Productora architects into a hub for creative industries in Doctores.
Full circle, from a sound performance at our special soirée to art fair tours led by Enrique Arriaga Celis, our visit also included a private view of his exhibit at La Laguna. In many ways, Enrique’s multidisciplinary practice helped anchor our program.
Lago/Algo is a cultural center and meeting point where art, gastronomy, and ideas converge. Known for their high-end Mexican food, our family-style lunch was followed by a private tour.
Led by programming manager Diego Argüelles, we visited the center’s incredible spaces, including the new exhibit Chapter V: Heat by Julian Charrière, Ebecho Muslimova, Ana Montiel, and Artists Against the Bomb.
Wind down at Templo Mayor with a guided walking tour of Zócalo with Maestro Wash Chimalli, a Mexican knowledge-keeper and certified anthropological guide.
Together we walked back in time, touching on stories of the sacred sites hidden in plain sight, and soaking up the energies of Tenochtitlan, ancestral name of Mexico City's historic center. Angela Mictlanxochitl was our gracious interpreter.
Overwhelming gratitude to our members, partners, and supporters for making this adventure possible. Commissioner’s art trips are experiments in accessibility and belonging. Our hope is to connect with pathways, processes, and people that deepen our understanding of ourselves and each other.