PRO
PICKS
Instagram users around
the world are hooked
on “Mente de Rufus,”
the pastel-tinged feed
of Mexico City native
Marco Bochicchio.
The photographer and
architect shows us where
he gets his inspiration.
Current ’hood: “I live in
Roma. It is the perfect
example of how surreal
Mexico City can be. Many
of its most gorgeous art
nouveau buildings—once
homes for the wealthy—
are now local stores and
not always well preserved.
Yet they maintain the
essential elegance of the
architecture mixed with
authentic local lifestyle.”
Modern mecca: “The
sculpture space at UNAM
(the National Autonomous
University of Mexico)
incorporates vast Mexican
modernist works into an
untouched landscape.”
stacks of books—nearly half a million in all. For a deeper design experience, find a nook and cozy up with titles on Mexican architecture (Luis
Barragán, Oscar Hagerman, Mauricio Rocha) or admire the central
hall’s art installation, an elaborately inscribed whale skeleton by artist
Gabriel Orozco (no relation, though rumored, to muralist José).
INGENIOUS, INDEED
Of course, just about anywhere you wander in Mexico City, you’ll find
art—particularly in Coyoacán, the former stomping grounds of Frida
and Diego, where a countercultural spirit still reigns. The colonia is one
of the city’s oldest, home to Kahlo’s blue house, the poignant Casa Azul.
A new generation of artists has taken up residence here, among them
the painter Lourdes Villagómez, a rising star whose bright, regionally
inflected acrylic works have garnered international accolades, leading
to projects such as a Nike collaboration and the cover of this magazine.
“The art scene in Mexico City is continually growing and evolving,”
she says. “It’s a super-exciting time—street art is booming, and we have
so many platforms to help new artists show and share their work.” She
points to walking tours by the organization Street Art Chilango as a
prime way to see street art in areas like Roma and Condesa. Founded
by artist Jenaro de Rosenzweig, Street Art Chilango chronicles the vivid,
large-scale surprises—many lurking in abandoned crevices and forgotten
façades—that feel like the inheritors of Mexico’s mural tradition.
Street Art Chilango hints at the collaborative vibe that permeates the
creative climate here. The sentiment is echoed in other disciplines, as
established stars like Michel Rojkind actively encourage up-and-coming
local talent. “What’s interesting to me are the many new voices try-
ing hard to show a different Mexico,” says Rojkind. “Mexico City is
an amazing place to live, where the everyday chaos makes us aware of
the possibilities that can make the day-to-day better. Mexicans are, in
general, ingenious by necessity. In spite of our political reality, Mexican
design keeps pushing to show another view of Mexico—not just in
architecture, but in art, design, film, gastronomy and fashion.”
That last category is certainly represented at an edgy boutique in
Polanco called The Feathered. Owner Sharon Drijanski is as effusive
about championing homegrown designers as she is about stocking the
international fashion vanguard, like LVMH prize-winner Vejas and New
York provocateurs Eckhaus Latta. She recently launched an incubator
project, in which she collaborates with a new local designer every season,
and delights in stocking pieces from designers like Anndra Neen, whose
sculptural jewelry and accessories are handcrafted in Mexico City.
Drijanski, who went to art school and trained as a sculptor, says she
used to feel like an outsider in the art world. In fashion, she was again
outside—or rather ahead—of the curve at first. When The Feathered
opened, she says, “it was like I was swimming in the opposite direction.”
Yet a few short years later, amid the swirl of creativity that’s percolating
faster than ever in Mexico City, Drijanski has found a thriving clientele
of sartorial spirits. “I feel at home,” she says simply. “It’s what I want to
do with my life, and it’s where I want to be.” [
Instagram favorite Marco
Bochicchio is the ultimate
guide to Mexico City.
Architecture icon: “Luis
Barragán taught me that
design principles must
align with the deepest
values of humanity. His
Capilla de las Capuchinas
Sacramentarias is my
favorite building—it shows
how he applies concepts
like silence, beauty and
privacy to create a sacred
space for contemplation
and introspective healing.”
Noche to remember:
“Dinner at Salón Tenampa
is an only-in-Mexico-City
experience. Order tequila
and hire songs from the
masses of mariachi bands
revolving through the
place. It’s rowdy, touristy,
loud—and always a blast.”
Jungle jaunt: “If you have
time for a side trip, Las
Pozas is a one-of-a-kind
sculpture garden in the
rainforest of Xilitla. The
surrealist art patron
Edward James dreamed
up this crazy landscape of
otherworldly structures
and mythical forms that
defy stylistic classification, and even reality.”
