Guadalajara design festival celebrates local creative talent

Salón Cosa, a Mexican art and design event, returns with a new edition, taking place in Guadalajara and spotlighting the work of Mexican artisans and designers. The brainchild of gallerist Daniela Elbahara and curator Mario Ballesteros, Salón Cosa is presented as ‘a gathering of contemporary objects’, featuring the work of Guadalajara-based creatives working in different fields. 

Salón Cosa 2021 at the Bellwort Hotel

Described as ‘a temporary space where the most exceptional objects come together to be exhibited, where collectors can meet to discuss and socialise in an intimate environment’, the 2021 edition of Salón Cosa is set within the brutalist spaces of the Bellwort Hotel, located within the 1967 Edificio Rosales, designed by Julio de la Peña Lomelín, one of the masters of Guadalajara's modern architecture. The art and design showcase takes over the hotel’s terrace, which opens to the public for the first time. 

The display includes the work of Chamula, an artisanal collective creating objects handcrafted locally by indigenous artisans using traditional huarache (sandal) making equipment and techniques. Here they show the ‘Tritón’ armoire, made of ceramic and wood and created in collaboration with Antonio Medrano, and the ‘Biznaga’ vases, inspired by cacti and made with Pablo Pajarito.

There is the work of Ricardo Luevanos, whose fascination with animal anatomy and maximalist aesthetic is applied here to a pendant lamp, and jewel-like ceramic mirrors by Alejandro Garcia Contreras, whose experimental work is inspired by contemporary pop culture, folklore, classical mythology and religion. 

The colourful works of Savannah College of Art and Design student Marcelo Suro is represented here with the ‘Loop’ chair, a brilliant example of craftsmanship and ingenuity and made of strategically bent wood. Guadalajara ceramics studio Popdots, founded by local designers Melissa Aldrete and Luis Cárdenas, presents a series of vessels showcasing a variety of techniques, while Caterina Moretti of Peca Studio displays her ‘Loto’ poufs and banquettes, featuring long hair Chamula wool and velvet, and created in collaboration with local artisans.

Monterrey artist Leo Marz, whose work usually focuses on abstract and figurative painting, has created a delicate freestanding hanger, made of brass, steel and resin, and titled ‘It Keeps You from Feeling Alone’.

‘Salón Cosa Guadalajara will be a unique opportunity to discover and celebrate the most interesting and original local artists,’ say its curators. ‘We are not interested in dividing artistic objects by category or hierarchy. We are only interested in showing exceptional objects and creating a space for reflection around them.’

INFORMATION

Salón Cosa is on view 27 – 31 October 2021
instagram.com/saloncosa

ADDRESS

Av Unión 266
Col Americana
Lafayette
44140 Guadalajara, Jal.
Mexico

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