The most important contemporary art exhibition

Zélika García: "ZsonaMaco has positioned Mexico City as the epicenter of art"
ZsonaMaco's founder and director, Zélika García, shares with us the details of the next edition
Zélika García, the founder and director of ZsonaMaco, is a very prominent figure in the world of contemporary art in Mexico and Latin America.

Born in 1977, the Monterrey native studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Monterrey and from a young age showed a deep interest in art, influenced by her grandmother.

In 2002, Zélika decided to create an art fair, and that's how Muestra 1 was born, in Monterrey.
This first attempt became Muestra 2 the following year and, finally, ZsonaMaco, which this year celebrates 21 years of being held. The fair will take place from February 5 to 9 at Centro Citibanamex.

The fair has grown and evolved, becoming the most important contemporary art show in the country and in Latin America.

In this interview, Zélika García shares her career, the challenges she has faced, and her vision for the future of ZsonaMaco.
How has ZsonaMaco evolved since its beginnings?

"The fair has evolved in tandem with the contemporary art market; we have adapted to the changes and the needs of our audiences.

Currently, we are about to launch one of the most international editions, with the participation of more than 200 galleries from 30 countries, and that is related to the credibility we have built."
What motivated you to create a contemporary art fair in Mexico?

"The motivation came after I finished my Bachelor of Arts at the University of Monterrey; my first efforts were focused on promoting art in several galleries in the north of the country, this allowed me to have all the necessary tools to be able to develop a serious platform for the exhibition and sale of art in Mexico City.

It all stems from my main interest in positioning Mexico as a reference in the contemporary art market at an international level, creating a space where Latin American art has the same visibility and relevance as that of other regions of the world."
ZsonaMaco has meant a before and after in the contemporary art scene in Mexico, to what do you attribute her undoubted success and her enormous influence?

"It is the sum of a series of factors. First, the prestige that the fair has gained over the years because it goes hand in hand with attracting galleries from various countries, both those that participate each year, as well as the new ones that are joining. In addition to the experience of the curatorial team of each section, this injects innovation and updating to the new trends.

Another important element is that each year we seek to make it an experience for lovers of art, culture, design and antiques, even with activities beyond the fair itself."
How has the fair been adapting to the changes in the world of contemporary art, both national and international?

"The fair is a good thermometer to see what is going to happen or is happening in local and international contemporary art. This year we will launch our first digital fair in collaboration with Always Art, which will allow us to connect with new audiences, artists and galleries from around the world, in real time, at the same time as what is happening in Mexico City."
Have you undertaken any initiatives to make contemporary art more accessible to everyone and to educate the public?

"As every year, we work hand in hand with various educational institutions and cultural venues such as museums, galleries and experimental spaces, which allows us to reach other audiences through activities beyond the fair such as contemporary art, design and photography exhibitions, public interventions, workshops and conferences with artists and experts, guided tours of exhibitions, and also parties and a series of nighttime events that combine art and entertainment.

This year, more than 90 cultural institutions are joining the program, offering a unique agenda that inaugurates the 2025 cultural calendar in Mexico City and museums, galleries, foundations and experimental spaces reflect the diversity of the global art scene.

Some examples are: the Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC), the Museo Jumex, the Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL), the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Museo Kaluz, the Museo de Arte Moderno (MAM) and the Museo Tamayo, to name a few."
What criteria do you use to select the participating artists and galleries?

"To participate in ZsonaMaco, interested galleries must submit their application and their proposals are then evaluated by a selection committee to form part of the general section of the fair.

For the other sections, there is a curator who invites galleries to participate with proposals that fit the curatorial discourse of the section."
Could you tell us about the curatorial process? How can you make the fair so cohesive in every way, despite having a great diversity of works and artists?

"Cohesion is achieved as part of the selection of works and artists made by the curators of each section based on the requests they receive, and with the discourse and themes that are sought in each edition.

For example, this year at ZsonaMaco Sur, the section is nourished by projects that explore memory, identity and cultural tensions from deeply contemporary perspectives, with proposals that connect the personal and the collective, the historical and the political."
ZsonaMaco. (Photo: Special)
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