Guest Curator: Mario Ballesteros
Curatorial Asistants: Tony Macarena
Happy to be a co-curator alongside Lucía Sanromán and Jota Izquierdo for Tecnopop, a 3 month long exhibition happening at Laboratorio Arte Alameda as part of this years Abieto Mexicano de Diseño.
In its seventh edition, the Abierto Mexicano de Diseño explores POPULAR in design, in all its amplitude and with all its contradictions. In this historic moment of inflection, design has to claim openness, diference, empowerment and inclusion: all essential forces behind the profound social, political, economical, cultural - eminently popular change that is growing in Mexico and in the world.
"In Mexico we talk about the POPULAR, which comes from pōpulus, about the people. A popular design could be a contemporary amplification of what we know as popular art, a spoiled term of the post-revolutionary officialism that was used to label a complete universe of indigenous material production and culture that emanated from the people.
The fundamental problem with this idea is that design in Mexico has little to do with the people. It wants to be "popular", but to gain mentions, followers and likes in the world of design; participate in the global market and in the international circuit of events, fairs, blogs, concept stores and galleries before solving urgent matters-or at least significant-for the common people.
However, there is another Mexican design that does connect with the town: the one that is scattered from the old gates and on the cracked stools of the Historical Center, which hangs from the lamp posts and takes refuge under the canvases of the tianguis, which they promote the merolicos at the top of their voices and sell themselves at the rhythm of reggaeton, jumping from rucksacks on the subway. A design that is not "designer", but street. A horizontal and accessible design that exudes ingenuity celebrates diversity and demonstrates resilience. This popular design goes against the industrial leveler with its imported and totalizing ideals of standardization, efficiency and beauty."
- M. Ballesteros
I will also be serving as part of the selection comittee for the Technology Pavillion.