We spoke to Isa Natalia Castilla.
Cofounder and partner of Feria Material Mexico City since 2014. Her trajectory includes opening her art gallery in 2021, Castilla/ Klyuyeva, en Monterrey, and starting Cuadrante, a cultural festival to promote art, design and architecture in Monterrey.
What was the “genesis” of Material Art Fair?
Material started in 2014 in Mexico City as a fair for young galleries and art projects, which were booming in the Mexican art scene. We wanted to do a fair were galleries could take risks and show exciting and emerging artists. Over the years the fair has evolved in many ways; we are an international art fair where prominent Mexican and international galleries participate, we have 5 curatorial programs happening simultaneously at the fair and have expanded to another city, Guadalajara since 2021.
What is the value and purpose of human scale fairs as Material and Swab?
Material has an amount of stands that allows for galleries to be visible and collectors to make a connection with the artworks. For any fair, you want the art work to be the main attraction and what people talk about. Material feels like a more intimate fair to do exactly that.
What would you like to see in this new edition of Swab 2023?
Galleries have to plan their participation also thinking about where they will be showing, so I am interested to see how different or similar it is to what they would present in Latin America for example. I am also interested to get to know more Spanish galleries and artists.
Where do you think the new trends in emerging art are heading in the coming years?
I see a return to painting and artists working with ceramic, a very traditional material and creating some beautiful pieces.
Which projects are keeping you busy these days?
I can´t keep calm, so we are already organizing Material 10 and the second edition of Cuadrante, a new festival I started in Monterrey, where we present art, design and architecture.
Organizing large events takes time and if these get organized with time, there are better outcomes and less surprises.