Mexico City art hub JO-HS opens inside a modernist icon
New exhibition space and creative hub JO-HS opens inside a striking example of modernist Mexico City architecture by Carlos Herrera
In Mexico City, a new, multifaceted arts hub has arrived on the scene. JO-HS, founded by Danish curator and gallerist Elisabeth Johs, is a new exhibition space, artist residency and shop that will spotlight a cross-section of local and international contemporary creativity, and offer studio and living space for emerging artists in Mexico City. Johs, who was formally based in New York and is co-founder of the city’s Trotter & Sholer gallery, moved to Mexico City last year after finding herself unable to return to the US due to coronavirus travel restrictions.
JO-HS occupies an architecturally significant building in San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico City, a former residence and architectural studio designed by Mexican architect Carlos Herrera and constructed in 1981. This light-filled modernist gem has been sensitively and elegantly renovated to adapt to a platform for contemporary art.
JO-HS’ inaugural show, ‘Vivarium’, features work by eight contemporary Mexican artists: Alicia Ayenegui, Carlos Garcia Noriega, Carla Hernández, Celeste, Emilio Chapela, Fernando Ocaña, Miguel Pedroza, Alonso Leon-Velarde, Perla Krauze and Tania Ximena.
Participating artists responded to two fundamental questions: ‘What does art need to survive? How does art escape the contemporary?’ In its purest sense, the vivarium is an environment in which to maintain life; the show is an art ecosystem in which to cultivate contemporary discourse.
Through his exploration of automobility as a psychological condition, artist and car designer Fernando Ocaña delves into the anthropology of speed. Elsewhere, Carla Hernández homes in on the synergy between humans and plants, and conceptual artist Tania Ximena takes a distinctive approach to the landscape genre, combining volcanology, and scientific and historical research with spirituality to pose the question: ‘How does one move from experience to image?’
‘I’m thrilled to debut JO-HS and to fulfil a long-held vision for a place to slow down, create and appreciate art in Mexico City,’ says Johs. ‘I have long admired the vibrancy and creativity of this city and aim for JO-HS to be a hub for international creativity where we celebrate the work of Mexican artists in particular.’
INFORMATION
’Vivarium’, until 4 December 2021, JO-HS, jo-hs.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Harriet Lloyd-Smith was the Arts Editor of Wallpaper*, responsible for the art pages across digital and print, including profiles, exhibition reviews, and contemporary art collaborations. She started at Wallpaper* in 2017 and has written for leading contemporary art publications, auction houses and arts charities, and lectured on review writing and art journalism. When she’s not writing about art, she’s making her own.
-
The wait is over: Matthieu Blazy is Chanel’s new creative director
Matthieu Blazy has been appointed as the new artistic director at Chanel, after a critically lauded and commercially successful tenure as creative director of Bottega Veneta
By Jack Moss Published
-
Alaïa’s secret new London café and bookstore is inspired by the art of hosting
Housed on the third floor of Alaïa’s London flagship, the intimate space – inspired by Azzedine Alaïa’s famed hospitality – includes a Violet Cakes bakery and a bookstore by Claire de Rouen
By Jack Moss Published
-
Is it really possible to stage a Shakespeare play inside the game Grand Theft Auto?
Grand Theft Hamlet, a documentary debut written and directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, is about two out-of-work actors attempting to mount a full production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, inside the violent world of Grand Theft Auto, shot entirely in game
By Billie Walker Published
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this week
Investing in quality knitwear, scouting a very special pair of earrings and dining with strangers are just some of the things keeping the Wallpaper* team occupied this week
By Bill Prince Published
-
Tanya Aguiñiga: the artist weaving new narratives for borderless creativity
We profile LA-based artist and Loewe Foundation Craft Prize finalist Tanya Aguiñiga, whose work explores life on the US-Mexico border and seeks to empower transnational voices
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Published
-
Bosco Sodi’s monumental new Mexico City studio is a multifunctional feat
As Bosco Sodi unveils his new Studio CMDX in Atlampa, Mexico City, we speak to the artist about how the vast Alberto Kalach-designed former warehouse is a feat in multitasking
By Juliana Piskorz Published
-
Artist’s Palate: Jose Dávila’s chocolate fudge with pecans
Try Jose Dávila’s indulgent recipe for chocolate fudge with pecans, from our December 2022 issue’s Artist’s Palate feature, a Wallpaper* homage to our favourite contemporary art
By TF Chan Published
-
Botanical sculptor Azuma Makoto creates a sculptural ecosystem at Mexico’s SFER IK
Japanese artist Azuma Makoto’s largest flower sculpture to date responds to SFER IK’s unique biophilic design and the surrounding wilderness
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Bosco Sodi’s message of post-pandemic hope in New York City
The Mexican artist takes over Manhattan's Washington Square Park on Sunday 23 May, giving away 439 small clay spheres embedded with seeds to spread a message of hope
By TF Chan Published
-
Unno gallery shines a spotlight on Latin American design talent
Offering a new point of view on the region's talent, Milan-based digital gallery Unno makes its debut with a series of collectible design objects that reference ancient aesthetics with a contemporary spin
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Artist Stefan Brüggemann lights up the truth in Tijuana
Mexican artist Stefan Brüggemann meditates on the state of misinformation with a double-sided neon installation on the US/Mexico border
By TF Chan Last updated