54 Gallery: Art, Dynamism, and Convergence
As you step inside 54 Gallery, you'll be immersed in the contrasting works of their current exhibition: “Memorias en Tensión (Memories in Tension).” To the left, the vibrant colors of Ileana Magoda's landscapes; to the right, the reflective compositions of Alexander Grawoig. Venturing further, you'll find the illustrations and reimagined graphics of José Luis Bojórquez adorning the walls and hanging from the ceiling banners.
Just three months after its opening, this cozy gallery—with locations in Mérida and México City—aims to bring together various disciplines and create a symbiosis between local, national, and international artists. The art on the walls intertwines and gains new life within the gallery, thanks to the curatorial work of Carola Sánchez, who is also a film director. She shares her passion for art in all its forms and her vision for this new space.
"We're a very young gallery, but we have lots of ideas and all the desire to make ourselves known in Mérida", she says. While 54 Gallery's current strength lies in the visual arts, the curator envisions a cross-cutting, collaborative space that generates visibility for all art forms and welcomes anyone who wants to participate in the project.
At present, 54 Gallery represents around 12 artists, including both Yucatecan and Mexican artists, as well as from Chile, the Dominican Republic, and England. You can discover the Mérida location at Calle 54 x 51 y 53, Centro.
The diverse works of “Memorias en Tensión” at 54 Gallery
The newly inaugurated Memorias en Tensión exhibition showcases the works of Ileana Magoda, Alexander Grawoig, and José Luis Bojórquez.
Magoda's vivid paintings exalt and unravel tropical vegetation with an exquisite color palette. Her landscapes confront the sublime beauty of nature with the fragility of our reality.
Incorporating a mix of textures in his pictorial compositions, Alexander Grawoig’s collages invite us to reflect on time, order, and individual worth. Grawoig explores the conventions surrounding us, blending materials, colors, and simple forms to create a thoughtful and complex whole.
Meanwhile, José Luis Bojórquez takes advertising graphics and newspaper records—common elements in our surroundings—and distorts them to deliver a nostalgic and ghostly result. His work presents everyday life as a relic for remembrance.
The final room, known as Atlas, offers a collection of works from twenty artists, aiming to unite their proposals, creating a unique language by mixing them and allowing the coexistence of different visions in the same space.
The artists featured in this collection are Ileana García 'Magoda,' Wladymir Bernechea, Monserrat Palacios, Jainsen, Valeria Divinorum, Amy Dury, Atenas Orozco, José Luis Bojórquez, Federico Barrault, Carlos González Martínez, Elizabeth Casasola, Luisa Bordas, Eduardo O. Guzmán, Ismael Reyes Romero, Diego Saldaña, José Dumay, Vivi Ochoa, Hugo Alejandro Vega, Alexander Grawoig, and last but not least, Arlette Bellio.
54 Gallery: An inclusive space for artistic diversity
54 Gallery envisions itself as a meeting point for artists from all disciplines, aiming to foster an exchange among dancers, musicians, poets, and others interested in sharing their work.
The gallery plans to transform its spaces into a living gallery through events and performances where art goes beyond the static and invites interaction, as seen in the recent presentation by artist Diego Cano, known for sampling environmental sounds and turning them into music.
Supporting local art is an essential component for the gallery’s founders. One of their first projects involves inviting young artists from local universities and opening the gallery doors for them to exhibit their work. Aware of how challenging it is for emerging artists to receive support from private galleries, they intend to provide a space where, upon showcasing their works, all proceeds from sales will go exclusively to the artists.
To participate in future events and learn more about this new artistic venue in Mérida, we invite you to visit their Instagram, @54_gallery.
Calle 54 #453-B x 51 y 53, Centro
Mérida, Yucatán
Tel. 999 109 7902
www.54gallery.com.mx
IG: 54_gallery
Photography by Carlos Guzmán, for its use in Yucatán Today.
First published in Yucatán Today website in November 2024.
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