Viva Mexico! Capilano University IDEA School of Design Mexico City Cultural and Professional Trip
17 STUDENTS
13 STUDIO, AGENCY, AND MUSEUM VISITS
7 DAYS
3 CITIES IN 1 (ANCIENT/COLONIAL/MODERN)
2 CHAPERONES
1 MEMORABLE TRIP
Two milestones marked the 2019 edition of the annual trip by IDEA 3rd years.
It was the first trip outside Canada or the U.S., and the first to be co-led by an IDEA grad, Ben Frey (IDEA 2007). But he and co-leader Patrick Cotter had a third key contributor, former IDEA instructor and Mexico City native, Carolina Becerra, who provided invaluable guidance and contacts that helped make the visit so successful. Another instructor, Jai Djwa also provided a connection that led to a trip highlight.
LOOT Contemporary Illustration Fair
“When Patrick approached me about helping with the trip I was thrilled. Not only because I’m Mexican, but also because there is amazing work being created there and it’s great to hear that the work is being noticed.
Even though I never practiced design in Mexico City, many of my friends have and I have been following design there for year. So it was such a wonderful opportunity to be able to reach out to my contacts and help set up the visits.
I was very happy to hear that the field trips and the contact with Erwin Jurgensen were fruitful and even happier to help bring a light to the amazing city that CDMX is. It’s important to help change perceptions.”
Teotihuacan with the gang
Saturday/Sunday Arrival
Nearly half the students arrived in the afternoon of Saturday, November 2 in time to catch the tail end of celebrations -- along with thousands of locals -- for El Dia del Muertos in the zocalo, the main square. Any apprehension we had about the city being unsafe melted away in the festive atmosphere and family friendly crowds.
Teotihuacan Pyramids
Temple of the Moon
The whole group met Sunday night at our hotel, the Four Points Sheraton in Colonia Roma, a stylish district with abundant dining options and interesting shops, to go over the week’s itinerary.
Diego Rivera Museum
Temple of the Moon and the Temple of the Sun
Monday morning we went (via subway and an hour-long bus ride) to Teotihuacán, an Meso-American archaeological site featuring two iconic pyramids, the Temple of the Moon and the Temple of the Sun. Thought to be nearly 2,000 years old, it pre-dates the Aztecs. At its zenith the city was the largest in the pre-Columbian Americas with an estimated population of 125,000. A clear blue sky and not too hot sun made for a pleasant day and fine photography.
Anagrama design studio & the home studio of Marina Corach
Tuesday morning, the group split in two. Half walked to the Mexico City studio Anagrama, a design studio with a huge global reputation operating in a small space that could only accommodate eight students.
The studio leader Daniela Garza led the group through an engaging two-hour branding process exercise for a branding process exercise for a premium chocolate. Anagrama is celebrated for its branding, environment/ architecture design, and packaging work with high-end international clients.
The other half went with Ben to visit the home studio of Marina Corach, a freelance illustrator and designer. Marina set up a walk-thru of her studio with displays of her work throughout, that showed not only her progress into a commercial artist, but also by how her inspirations change and move her into new directions of design.
The students were captivated by her illustrative style: a combination of Japanese traditional drawing, social justice and femininity. And wolves! Her design work was also a highlight, specializing mostly in branding for restaurants. Marina brought a lot of her life experience to her commercial work, whether it be through world travel or her time spent working as a professional dancer.
The Anagrama crew had a hot, crowded Metrobus experience – complete with hour-long delay by street protests -- en route to the Diego Rivera Mural Museum before meeting up with the illustration visit crew at Palacio Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts). Just before leaving the Diego Rivera museum the skies opened and we all ran laughing in the rain down a very long city block to the Palacio. This massive 19th century museum and event space features a number of murals and exhibits.
Arena de Mexico for Lucha Libre: Mexican professional wrestling
Lucha Libre
That night, as an optional outing, we Ubered to the Arena de Mexico for Lucha Libre, delighting in the raucous, joyful experience that is live Mexican professional wrestling. The transparently fake drama, wonderful costumes and mythic personas drew an endless howl of cheers and jeers.
We had all been warned not to drink tap water or eat street food, but the microorganisms native to the city eventually found their way into some intestinal tracts and did what they do best – cause distress. On the whole, there was no shortage of interesting food (infinite varieties of tacos). A churro place one block form the hotel was a big hit.
Museo de Maya
Zocalo dia de Muertos
More studio visits including street artist VLOCKE
Wednesday morning started with a quick visit via Uber to Vision Consulting, which makes UX/UI software, followed by a trip highlight to illustrator, printmaker, and street artist VLOCKE.
VLOCKE visit
He works out of a print-based collective with many other artists with a focus on social and environmental justice, and combatting violence against women. Vlocke specializes in linocut and woodblock printmaking to create limited edition prints or to wheatpaste throughout the city. Throughout our trip, his work had been spotted in several different neighbourhoods.
Designer and illustrator Pon Cervantes
That afternoon we traveled in a rented van across town – and several socio-economic levels – to a session with designer and illustrator Pon Cervantes in a We Work space in an office tower with high-end retail.
Pon — Hola Canada
Pon Cervantes
Pon is a charismatic and very funny presenter who gave an inspiring all-in lesson on living – and creating artistic and commercial success. It was a friend of a friend of Jai Djwa’s who led us to Pon. We had no idea what to expect, but we trusted the connection and were thrilled by the result.
Mural tour and full-service interactive agency tour
Thursday morning started with a mural tour arranged by Street Art Chilango. Our guide Abril conducted the tour throughout the Roma neighbourhood, making several stops on every block to explain the history and interpretation of murals created by local and international artists. Some standout murals included the impact of the 2017 earthquake, a Super Mario Brothers-inspired design of the CDMX subway system, and a depiction of the government corruption happening in the Chiapas province.
Mural tour
After the tour, we ubered to Interalia, a full-service interactive agency that serves many national and international brands. A highlight of the tour was a demo of their work in augmented reality, and Kali, a dog whose steward agency’s principal, Carlos Salazar.
Interalia Visit
Co-leader Ben Frey (IDEA 2007), co-leader Patrick Cotter with IDEA Grad 2021 and Interalia Crew
After a long lunch (tacos and burritos, what else?) we then walked to the renowned Museo de Antropologia. The collection, drawn from all pre-Columbian civilizations in Mexico’s current and former territories includes treasures such as the Aztec Stone of the Sun, giant stone heads of the Olmec civilization, Mayan treasures from Chicen Itza and Palenque as well as ethnologoical displays of contemporary rural Mexican life. The museum itself is monumental (8 hectares in total), with exhibition halls surrounding a courtyard that has a huge pond and a vast square concrete umbrella supported by a single slender pillar. The halls are ringed by gardens, many of which contain outdoor exhibits.
Museo de Antro
The group dinner that has become a feature of the tour took place that night at Covadonga, a Spanish-style cantina that has had a good deal of buzz among hipsters. We went there because it was the only place that could seat all of us together, and accommodate various dietary restrictions. We would not recommend a return visit should there be future trips to Mexico City.
Frida Kahlo House in the Coyoacan neighbourhood
Friday morning started with a visit to the Frida Kahlo House in the Coyoacan neighbourhood. We got there early enough to have only a short wait to enter what has become a must do on most visitor itineraries. Lovely grounds and some interesting work, but crowded.
Friday afternoon was unscheduled and our group dispersed for shopping and further freestyle exploration. Most students departed Saturday morning and afternoon. All were artistically and professionally inspired — and full of rich, warm, colourful memories.
Museo Courtyard
