Architecture & Design

«Experimental?»: Mexico as an architecture lab

Architecture & Design

«Experimental?»: Mexico as an architecture lab

Exhibition concept Experimental? © Laure Nashed

› 2020 Exhibition Concept

At the beginning of 2020 – shortly before the exhibition worlds were shut down due to the pandemic – the idea arose to expand the journalism project «Learning from Mexico» into an exhibition. Due to my research and travels, an extensive repertoire of Mexican architecture has emerged that is well worth seeing.

In June 2020, a Swiss museum was approached with the exhibition concept shown here. The time was not yet right for an exhibition on contemporary Mexican architecture in Switzerland. But Mexico continues to build diligently: More public buildings designed by architects are currently being built than at any time in over half a century.

It is very encouraging to see that museums around the world are welcoming visitors again, and I look forward to revisiting the idea of an exhibition soon.

Special thanks to Daniel Kurz, Erwin Dettling, Julia Ann Stüssi, and Jachen Schleich for their encouragement and support.

June 2021

Description Exhibition concept:

«Experimental?» shows the importance of experimentation in contemporary Mexican architecture. The exhibition examines the experiment as an architectural instrument for dealing with the complex and changing Mexican society. Known as a country of unlimited possibilities, Mexico is an architectural laboratory of experimentation in which constructive failures can be corrected over time. The density of standardization is comparatively low and, together with the pioneering mentality of the clients and generally affordable craftsmanship, it opens up a wide field for architectural and spatial experiments.

For some years now, the worldwide media interest in contemporary Mexican architecture has been growing. A decade ago, the group of architects who had made a name for themselves in the world was still small. Through their self-confident appearance, they made themselves heard and respected by politicians and private developers and became internationally visible. Many young architects became increasingly involved in social and political change in the country and generated peer pressure within the architecture scene. Mexico is a fertile ground for architecture: one finds the whole range of projects initiated by government institutions with an experimental approach, collaborations among architects and artists, and even experiments with traditional building techniques and materials.

The exhibition «Experimental?» shows the broad spectrum of Mexican architecture with its different and sometimes controversial approaches. How and in what environment is the experimental perspective of Mexican architects manifested? How do Mexican architects respond to the country‘s challenge? Does Mexico‘s current architecture bring users new added value that creates a sense of community? These questions are examined and presented in the exhibition. In a look behind the scenes, the exhibition reveals to the visitor the contradictions between architectural desire and reality.