Laying low: Fabien Cappello reflects on the art of relaxation in Mexico
The colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, in central Mexico, has been graced with a new design exhibition space. Set in a refurbished 380 sq m space near the historic centre, The Garage (a former car park, as the name suggests) is an initiative by the adjacent design hotel Dos Casas and launches today with a site-specific installation by French designer Fabien Cappello.
Cappello, who relocated to Mexico City in 2016, has developed a new collection of furniture and objects with the local artisan community, designed to reflect on the modern history of San Miguel de Allende, which was known as a hub for radical artists and thinkers in the mid-20th century. The project celebrates the ‘precious act of doing nothing’, inviting visitors and hotel guests to engage with the space with no other ambition than to relax and reflect.
‘I never do exhibitions, I do things that can be used,’ Cappello tells us as we visit the gallery. ‘When you create interaction, that’s when you create space.’ In recent years, the RCA-graduate has made a name for himself with a playful style that mixes bright colours with modernist references. Wallpaper* collaborated with the designer for an intervention in Miami, which referenced Mexico City’s municipal street furniture while challenging the perception between private and public sphere – a central preoccupation in his work.
Produced hand in hand with some of the finest local craftsmen – who have worked in the region for generations – the installation at The Garage features new objects ranging from coloured-glass lamps, reinterpreted maceta pots, cement-tile loungers and benches, woven-straw stools, and wool rugs, handwoven on looms. Each piece is unique and individual with a life of its own – when the exhibition closes, some will find a permanent home at the hotel, while other designs will be produced commercially.
‘To me, Fabien’s work is like a kaleidoscope,' says Alberto Laposse, founder of Dos Casas hotel. ‘His work reflects on what’s happening around him.’ The Mexico City-based architect (he designed the space of The Garage, which boasts a polished-concrete floor, cement walls and factory-like ceiling) came across Capello’s work at group exhibition ‘L’Esprit du Bauhaus’ at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris last year. He immediately called him and offered him the opening exhibition at his hotel’s new gallery.
‘This is one of the most important projects of my career so far,’ asserts Cappello. ‘Mexico has had such a significant impact on me, and it’s the first time that my work is visible at that scale since I’ve moved here.’ The installation is, hopefully, one of many Mexican iterations to come.
INFORMATION
‘Chambre with a Vista’ is on view until autumn. For more information, visit the Dos Casas Hotel website
ADDRESS
The Garage
Dos Casas Hotel
Umarán 42
San Miguel de Allende
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Alessandro Michele is Valentino’s new creative director
Former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele is named the successor to Pierpaolo Piccioli at the Roman house
By Jack Moss Published
-
New Byredo store opens in London’s Covent Garden
Byredo has unveiled a new Covent Garden store, its second bricks-and-mortar destination in London
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Alternative Easter eggs: chocolate-free but cracking gifts and indulgences
The humble egg, Easter's favourite ingredient, celebrated in five alternative forms, from a picnic cutlery canteen to a fabulous foamy dessert
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Experience Mexico’s Pacific coast with a trio of Four Seasons Resorts
These Four Seasons Resorts add to the lure of Mexico's Pacific Coast; discover beloved outposts in Punta Mina, Naviva and Tamarindo
By Lauren Ho Published
-
Ian Schrager on his latest trick, The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai
Ian Schrager inaugurates The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai, a sprawling resort in collaboration with Rockwell Group and Edmonds International
By Dalya Benor Published
-
Tradition meets modernity at Taquería Los Alexis in Mexico City
Taquería Los Alexis serves up two kinds of tacos, and interiors with an industrial edge
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Onda Spa at Susurros del Corazón evokes the calming nature of the ocean
Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection launches Onda Spa, continuing to boost Mexico’s hospitality offerings
By Lauren Ho Published
-
Clase Azul Mexico’s first hospitality destination is a showcase of Mexican culture
Clase Azul Mexico, the Mexican luxury house known for its exquisite spirits and hospitality, adds destinations and experiences to its portfolio, starting in Baja California
By Simon Mills Published
-
Assouline’s new Mexico City book to inspire your trip
‘Mexico City’ by Aleph Molinar and Anfisa Vrube is a journey through the cultural landscape, Aztec history, cuisine, architecture and community
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo is the best place to see the solar eclipse in April 2024
Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo on Mexico’s Pacific coast offers the perfect observation deck to catch April’s solar eclipse – earning it a Wallpaper* Design Award 2024
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
10 colourful hotels to inspire your 2024 escapes
10 colourful hotels to discover in 2024, from dream-like mountain retreats to design-led city escapes, selected by Wallpaper* travel editor Sofia de la Cruz
By Sofia de la Cruz Published