Exploring Mexico City, a conversation with Adela Goldbard

On the occasion of the publication of My Art Guide Mexico City, which will be launched during Zsona Maco 2016, I had the chance to get an insight on the city from Adela Golbard, while also discussing her work.

Elena Scarpa: Could you tell us about your process of creation and where you get your inspiration?

Adela Goldbard: I often use written texts and images as a starting point for my research. Fiction, newspaper articles, media photographs and even government reports frequently prompt my projects. It usually takes a while before I start building, shooting or photographing; I try to take the time to get to know my collaborators well and to plan together.

ES: You live and work in Mexico City, what is your relationship with the city? Does the city itself inspire your work?

AG: I live in Mexico City but I usually work in the outskirts or further away. Craftsmanship, time and the landscape change outside of the city, which intrigues me. For different reasons I’ve been engaging with people that live and work in the peripheries. But I definitely enjoy the city very much as well, especially when I have time to walk or bike from one place to another.

ES: What about the art scene in Mexico City? Do you think the city is a stimulating place for an artist to live?

AG: Mexico City is a huge and diverse metropolis, very engaging for anyone who likes chaos and vibrancy in the same place. The art scene has been constantly growing; art spaces, both institutional and independent, keep popping up, not only in Mexico City, but also along the country. Since Mexico is a highly centralized country the emergence of cultural projects outside of Mexico City is important. I find some recent art projects and spaces, for example in Oaxaca and Monterrey, very interesting.

ES: Could you tell us five places in Mexico City you would suggest to someone who loves art?

AG: Around Chapultepec Park a bunch of “big” museums line up: Museo Tamayo, Museum of Modern Art, Casa del Lago, Anthropology Museum, Castle of Chapultepec, etc. The park itself is also a nice place to wander around. Downtown, I really enjoy eating and having a beer at Salón Corona, especially the one in Bolivar. Dos Naciones also has good food, and the music and dancing upstairs is great. You can do any of those (or both) after wandering around downtown. I love Mercado de San Juan and Don Chon restaurant just for the pleasure of exotic food. Colonia Roma and Condesa are crowded with bars, galleries and independent spaces (the list would be too long!). Artists like to gather at Salón Covadonga for drinks and Spanish food, especially after openings (the preferred clientele of Covadonga before the gentrification of Roma-Condesa was domino players). And even though the mezcal prices have risen, I enjoy mezcalerías a lot. Walking a few blocks around Roma-Condesa is usually all you need to find one.