Art Fair Highlights: ZonaMaco, Mexico City

Three artists from around the world – each with a distinct style and practice. Written by Mariana Rivera, Art & Curatorial Coordinator.

Artwork by Nep Sidhu

ZⓈONAMACO celebrated its 18th edition in Mexico City (February 9th – 13thm 2022), showcasing galleries from more than 25 countries around the world.

Walking the busy halls of the fair, each booth was a world of its own, some completely new and discoverable, others recognizable and familiar. Having former relationships and communication with multiple of the participating galleries, we had received previews of the artists and artwork they were exhibiting, and it was a wonderful surprise finding the works in person. Much like a treasure hunt, every wall and corner occupied by artworks offered moments of admiration and insight into artists and galleries from around the world.  

Finding artists to highlight was a difficult task, as there were hundreds of incredible works that were very easy to fall in love with. With our current clients and projects in mind, the following artists seemed to jump out and call for attention. Each artist is from a different country of origin, and their work differs from one another quite drastically, yet they all have a very distinct practice with a robust conceptual underpinning and significant personal styles.

Gabriel Rico (OMR Gallery)

Gabriel Rico is a Contemporary Mexican artist who lives and works is Guadalajara, Mexico and is represented by OMR in Mexico City. Rico’s work explores the relationship between objects, creating sculptures and installations that create moments of reflection as objects are juxtaposed, deconstructed, or re-contextualized.

The contrast between the natural wood of the base of each sculpture, with the hand-carved objects stacked above, immediately pulled the viewer into Gabriel Rico's works at ZonaMaco. The chosen objects within every sculpture made you question their relationship: from a deer, to a tennis racquet, to a bag of Cheetos, each component of Rico's sculptures is perfectly balanced in its geometry and aesthetic, while unexpectedly humorous and almost magical. 

Andrew Lyght (Anna Zorina gallery)

Andrew Lyght is a contemporary artist from Georgetown, Guyana, based in Kingston, New York and represented by Anna Zorina Gallery. With decades of experience, his work has been exhibited and collected by prominent museums around the world.


The sculptural feel of Andrew Lyght's works at ZonaMaco attracted the viewer to want to walk around each one, peek through their edges and tilted frames, and take in every detail and corner carefully.  The closer you looked, the more aspects of Lyght's works are surprising and inspiring. The bold colors and the hand-drawn lines and shapes are reminiscent of the vibrancy and ancient motifs in South America, where Lyght is originally from. Each work by Andrew Lyght is truly captivating, drawing the viewer in from afar with its unexpected shapes and colors, to finally enamor the viewer with the subtlety of each line and shape. 

Nep Sidhu (Patel Brown gallery)

Nep Sidhu is an interdisciplinary artist who lives and works in Toronto, Canada, and is represented by Patel Brown Gallery. Through investigating textiles, sculpture, sound, language and architecture, Sidhu’s work aims to highlight conceptual and technical components from ancient influences, while retaining a connection to the present. Nep Sidhu will be exhibiting at the MOCAD in Detroit starting in April 2022, in an exhibition titled Paradox of Harmonics, his first solo museum show in the U.S. 

The grandeur of Nep Sidhu's textile work was immediately impressive. Hanging from floor to ceiling, weighed down by the curved fringes that touch the ground, Sidhu's work at ZonaMaco was definitely a show stopper. Placed next to a detailed garment on a mannequin, a different work by the same artist, there was a quick relationship to note between both works. From the vibrant colors, to the detailed embroidery and geometric shapes, Sidhu's works made the viewer want to interact and learn more about his practice.