Mexico City exhibition embraces architecture, art and design
Nomadic design gallery Masa presents ‘The Last Tenant’, an exhibition of art and design pieces curated by Mario García Torres and set against the backdrop of a modernist villa in Mexico City
A gallery serving as a global platform for Mexican design, Masa presents its fourth exhibition, titled ‘The Last Tenant’ and curated by artist Mario García Torres. Set against the backdrop of the gallery’s modernist white villa HQ in Mexico City, the exhibition features works by Mexican and international designers and artists, including Héctor Esrawe, Brian Thoreen, Ewe Studio, Rooms, Jorge Yázpik as well as Torres himself.
The exhibition displays were arranged to imagine the house’s past lives, its inhabitants and their stories. ‘Little information is available from the modern white house at Palmas 1145 in Mexico City; but while entering it, it's not difficult to start imagining daily routines, celebrations and singular moments,’ says Torres. ‘One starts to connect little details that transpire from the materials used and left behind in it.’
Pieces on display include Georgian design studio Rooms’ ‘Butterfly’ chair in stainless steel, created in collaboration with Masa; Torres’ carved stone furniture; and lighting by Esrawe, among some of the Mexican designer’s more experimental pieces. Artworks and furniture design coexist in the space, which despite having been left raw and untouched, has maintained its modernist charm.
For Torres, showcasing contemporary furniture, objects and art in this place suspended in time forms an important curatorial statement. ‘After an extraordinary year that has largely questioned our lives' rhythms and values, this experience seeks a deeper understanding of our artists’ and designers' practices,’ he says. ‘If some works demand the audience to stop for a moment to be considered, others have been themselves waiting for us to catch up with them, and make them pertinent to our time.’
The gallery opened in 2019 as a platform for collectible and limited-edition design in Mexico, and has since evolved with regular exhibitions celebrating art, design and architecture.
INFORMATION
Until 9 May 2021. instagram.com/masagaleria
ADDRESS
Av. Paseo de las Palmas 1145
Lomas de Chapultepec
11000 Mexico City
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Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
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