An inspiring visit to Design Week Mexico
We recently visited Mexico City and were once again amazed by the creativity, the originality, diversity, and the admirable positive energy that we found everywhere in the city. Design Week Mexico, which was celebrating its 10th Anniversary in conjunction with Mexico 2018 World Design Capital, was particularly rich and inspiring.
Inédito at the Tamayo Museum
We spent time visiting Inédito at the Tamayo Museum and Visión & Tradición at the Anthropology Museum, and the Design House and Diseño Contenido in Parque Lincoln. We had a chance to visit few of the multiple installations of Abierto de Diseño in the historic part of the city. We met with many of the design studios we started following in 2013, most of them presenting at WantedDesign over the years. We were pleased to see that Centro University presented at Palacio Postal a synthesis of the Design Under Pressure students’ workshop that we hosted together at the end of September. We were honored (and had a terrific time) to be part of the Inédito Jury, and to review more than 70 independent Mexican studios, designers and makers from all over Mexico as part of the exhibit at the Tamayo Museum. “This year the Inédito exhibit was in true resonance with Mexico’s incredible design community and all the projects will inspire and continue to forge a great design experience. Working with a mix of international jurors with different disciplines within design was an amazing process and a great challenge that will enrich us in the future,” comments Chief Curator Andrea Cesarman.
Here is a selection of our favorites…
Part of INÉDITO
Alejandro Martinez Jaime
Architect Alejandro Martinez Jaime, presented “Recybloq”, a block made of 91.66% recycled construction material, which reduces almost all new materials such as cement, sand and gravel that are extracted by mining and that is highly harmful for the environment building system. “Recybloq” is a resilient product, highly compatible with emerging situations, since catastrophes are either natural or induced, where rubble also results; with this element it can be reconstructed on-site, such as shelter, housing, or community spaces, by reusing the material at hand.
Alejandro was received the INÉDITO 2018 first prize. espaciovitalmx.com
Recybloq project
Taller LU’UM
Since 2013 the interior design brand Taller LU’UM has developed a participatory design methodology based on the collaboration between artisan techniques, design practices and good care of the environment, culture and society. We loved both the collection developed with three communities presented at Inédito, which received the Jury Special Mention for Social Impact, but also the project part of Visión and Tradición at the National Museum of Anthropology, the result of a collaboration with French designer Sam Baron and mentored by Taller LU’UM. tallerluum.com.mx
Sam Baron for Taller Lu’um
Acoocooro
We fell in love with the pure beauty of “Biombo”, presented by Acoocooro, a multidisciplinary design studio who already seduced us at WantedDesign last May. The Biombo tryptique mirror plays with multiple reflections and opens the space to different perspectives. A perfectly harmonious aesthetic, beautifully crafted in a contemporary way (tinted with nostalgia) to revisit this traditional and intimate object. Biombo received the Special Mention of the Jury for Esthetic. acoocooro.mx
Acoocooro
Emma Gavaldon Van Leeuwen Boomkamp
Espacio, presented by Emma Boomkamp, is a project that aims to integrate Mexican artisanal textiles into our space. “Textile has always been a marker of identity. I designed this textile to show pride in our Mexican heritage. I want those pieces to embody the new definition of luxury. High quality artisanal products made out of honest materials created by sustainable methods that grow the local economy,” explained the young and super promising Mexican designer. At Inédito, she presented the Santiago rug, woven by Oaxaca master weavers and a sisal screen “Trenza” woven by artisans of Xocchel in Yucatan. Emma designed a large variety of products, all beautifully exploring materials and process. We have followed her since last May at WantedDesign and we invite you to keep an eye on all of Emma’s new work. Espacio/Trenza received the Special Mention for Material & Process. emmaboomkamp.com
Emma Boomkamp
Los Patrones + Alexis del Toro
Lazaro is an initiative of Los Patrones in collaboration with designer Alexis del Toro that materializes the full cycle of design. This collaboration was inspired by the need to connect the loose links in the design cycle and its production. Somehow, this ecosystem is fragmented in Mexico. The ultra comfortable recliner with storage has everything needed to be a top product on the International market. lospatrones.mx
Comité de Proyectos
The duo of Comité de Proyectos responded to last year earthquake with “Enthropy”, a sculptural bookshelf conceived as a tribute to “the human capacity to rebuild and reconfigure their reality after the chaos”. The materials are solid white oak, metal and cast concrete, which is not a usual material to build bookshelves. Assembled with an easy joint solution, the structure is powerful and original. comitedeproyectos.mx
Comité de Proyectos
Part of Visión & Tradición
Dear Human + Rogielo Rojas
The “Visión & Tradición” residence program developed for young national and international designers, promotes the collaboration with local artisans to generate pieces that establish the dialog between traditional production and contemporary design. These pieces were presented at the National Museum of Anthropology. The Montreal based duo, Dear Human, Jasna Sokolovic and Noel O’Connell, was discovered by Andrea Cesarman at WantedDesign two years ago, and was paired with the master craftsman Rogelio Rojas for Tributo.
Dear Human + Rogelio Rojas
Part of Abierto de diseno
EWE Studio – Masa Critica
Masa Critica was presented by EWE Studio, co founded by Mexican designer Hector Esrawe, at the National Numismatic Museum in Mexico City’s Cuauhtémoc neighborhood. The simple long black runway display in the middle of this dramatic décor of the former coin factory was a fascinating experience. Presenting the process from design to production of different products, the key piece was the Magma glass lamp installation on the black wall, with the volcanic stone molds that Nouvel Studio glassmakers used to blow the glass of the lamp. That concluded our 4 days Mexico city visit beautifully. ewe-studio.com
We can not feature all of the projects we loved but we discovered and appreciated numerous original studios such as Taller Nacional, Platalea Studio, Mecate studio, Mumo Casa, Neko and already well know from WantedDesign, Peca, Rodrigo Noriega, Onora, Raul de la Cerda, Bandido, Lorand Studio, Juskani Alonso to name a few.
Congrats to everyone and again Happy Anniversary to Design Week Mexico! Designweekmexico.com