This New Mexican Design Fair is Creating a Stir!

Surprisingly, design fairs aren't often held in especially inviting (or design-forward) locations. I can't say I'm yearning to return to the gloomy, interminable halls of New York's Javits Center, Milan's Fiera, or Paris's Parc des Expositions, where I've easily tallied five hours of appointments without peeking out a single window to the outside after more than a year of canceled events. But last weekend, as things began to return to “normal,” whatever that means, I found myself at a different kind of design fair, agua fresca in hand, surveying new furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories amid the blazing sun and crashing waves at architect Alfonso Quiones's Casa Naila in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. It was the first edition of Mexico Design Fair, a pre-pandemic concept that emphasized an appealing location, an intimate guest list of collectors and design insiders, and the current crop of Mexican-made items, all at a time when the country's design sector is thriving. “It's a cross between the thought-provoking nature of an exhibition and the commercial attraction of a fair,” says the show's curator, Carlos Torre Hütt. He's been immersed in Mexico's contemporary design scene for the past two decades as a designer, and while he recognized a growing creative force going through his country, he also recognized the national market was slowing down. jobs

“I chose to build a new platform that could bring global and national actors together because I was eager to find a mechanism to promote the acquisition—not only the celebration—of contemporary utilitarian pieces,” explains Torre Hütt. “However, we wanted to rethink the commercial fair structure, where booths and their square footage and layouts tend to take precedence over content.” Torre Hütt commissioned practically all of the works designed expressly for Mexico Design Fair in order to construct a story around new Mexican design. Pola Jose's sleek steel-and-brass light fixtures, Todomuta Studio's architectural coffee table in walnut and stainless steel, and vessels based on pre-Columbian jug forms conceived by Pedro Leites and cast in silver by Mexican silversmith Tane were among the highlights. Colectivo 1050o and Tierra Norte, both of which work with indigenous artists from Oaxaca and Chihuahua, respectively, had tabletop products on display in the home's kitchen, which served as a sort of gift shop. The advantage of a venue that stands on 20,000 square feet of private beach is that the design on display isn't limited to the indoors. A pneumatic shade structure by architect Pablo Kobayashi flailed in the breeze on the beach; guests sipped mezcal from Chimpestles, designed by Txt.ure and handcrafted by artisans; and, after nightfall on Friday, the curatorial platform Proyector presented a truly awe-inspiring pyrotechnic installation, a collaboration with local Oaxacans famed for their architectural fireworks displays.

For many of the featured artists, the fair's location is one of its most appealing features. Liliana Ovalle, whose smooth, fiberglass seat dubbed "Fragment of a Staircase" won her the fair's Designer of the Year Award, said, "Everyone is pleased at the beach." “Casa Naila mixes in wonderfully with its surroundings, and the four volumes that make up the house provide a very nice contrast between intimate areas and the openness of the beach.” The natural ambience of the setting also beats packed fair rooms. “Watching the spectacle while listening to the spectacular waves of the Oaxacan coast and experiencing the fresh sea breeze is quite an experience,” says Ovalle. “It makes you relate to the works in a completely different way.” For design aficionados, the neighborhood as a whole is appealing. The Tadao Ando–designed artist retreat slash studio of artist Bosco Sodi, named Casa Wabi; the Federico Rivera Rio–designed Hotel Escondido next door; and now, a new temazcal (traditional Oaxacan "sweat lodge," or sauna) by the buzzy design firm Tezontle.

“The charm of Puerto Escondido was such an intimate and hidden delight,” says Michelle Nussbaumer, an AD100 designer who splits her time between Texas and San Miguel de Allende. "In this eco-paradise, I was able to connect with so many creative people, and I discovered so many new sources and artists that I can't wait to share with my clientele."