Helena Lugo and Ana Castella talk about transformations, changes, and new beginnings more than ten years after the launch of Salón ACME.
A project that has spent the last thirteen years supporting and promoting artists' practices both nationally and internationally. A platform for connection, visibility, momentum, and dissemination for emerging creators developing their work in Mexico and abroad.

Helena Lugo: After twelve editions of Salón ACME and two years under your direction, what has changed? How is this project being reimagined more than a decade after it began? What sets this edition apart from previous ones?

Ana Castella: Over these 13 years, the platform has grown significantly, both in reach and structure. We’ve gone from receiving about 100 applications to almost 2,000 annually, which shows how established it’s become in the scene. The building that originally housed the project has changed, and so has the team, which has grown stronger over the years.

But beyond numbers, I think the most important thing is that the platform has matured. Under my direction, one of the main goals has been to clarify the format, ensuring that it’s not seen as just another art fair, but rather as a space with carefully curated content. The idea was to better define the different sections, and I think that’s helped position it not just locally, but also within the international circuit.

The Invited State section has evolved beyond a simple exhibition within four walls, now offering a more integrated experience. With Veracruz as this year’s focus, we aimed to make its presence more tangible—not just through the selection of artists and projects, but also through gastronomy, music, and other elements that build community and enrich the experience.

Another big step was the launch of Estudio ACME last year, a new effort to research what’s happening in different regions of the country. It’s about understanding how landscape and territory influence local artistic practices and expanding our view of art beyond the city.

Each edition stands out for its content since both the curators and the invited state change. But for me, as director, this edition has been especially challenging and demanding. I feel it’s the one that most reflects the work of direction, with a more defined and clear focus.

The challenge has been to keep raising the quality of the content, take care of the experience for artists, curators, and the public, and improve access and engagement with our special guests. In this edition, we’ve also managed to strengthen alliances and bring in new sponsors, which definitely makes a notable difference.

Despite all these changes, something that remains is the essence of the project. The open call and the Invited State continue to be core pillars, and that has allowed the platform to evolve and professionalize while maintaining its original identity and purpose.

HL: Salón ACME has always stood out from other art week events by being a platform by and for artists, with its main section driven by an open call. This creates room for new international proposals and gives insight into the practices, concerns, and themes explored by the 2,000+ artists who apply each year. In a world marked by global uncertainty, political crises, and the advancement of artificial intelligence, what themes are shaping contemporary art from ACME’s perspective?

AC: Several themes are very present in this year’s edition. One that stands out is the environmental, climate, and ecological crisis, explored through concepts such as the post-natural. Many artists are working with the idea of living entities—botanical, animal—and their relationship to pollution, cohabitation with humans, or even mutation.

There’s also a continued strong interest in territory, migration, and extractivism, questioning what it means to exploit land and resources in terms of national identity.

Another important topic is communication in the digital era: how geography and distance are transformed by technology, and how this affects us. We’re also seeing reflections on artificial intelligence, but also on natural and post-natural intelligences and their impact on art and society. This year, we definitely saw fewer works focused on the body and corporeality, which were very present last year, for example.

HL: This year, the Invited State section—dedicated to showcasing proposals from various parts of the country—highlighted Veracruz. What artists and themes were explored in this edition? How do landscape and territory influence the development of local artistic practices?

AC: The Veracruz showcase offered a rich and diverse reading. A highlight was Contornos de una barca alucinada by Rafa Toriz, which addressed the state’s geographic diversity and its role as an entry point for migrant populations in Mexico’s history. A key figure in this narrative was the Swede Per Anderson, who founded the lithography workshop La Ceiba Gráfica, serving as a starting point to explore how this technique influenced the art scene.

Literature and writing also played a significant role—fundamental elements in Veracruz. The exhibition reflected this connection with poetry and essays, with Rafa Toriz not only as curator but also as an essayist. All of this was interwoven with the state’s landscape, from the coast and lagoons to the mountains and cloud forest.

The exhibition also included artists not originally from Veracruz but with careers closely linked to the state, such as Goro Kagei. There was also a focus on artisanal practices, like low-temperature ceramics in the work of Florencia Rothschild.

The state’s presence extended beyond the exhibition through food and music. The participation of Güero Palmeros allowed the public to experience the region’s flavors, from the coast to the jungle and cloud forest. Music also had a special touch thanks to Los Cojolites: fully organic, no electronic instruments, with wooden sounds deeply rooted in Veracruz tradition.

HL: Thinking from the perspective of Terremoto and Latin America, how do you integrate and give relevance to artistic practices across the continent while being a platform that speaks from Mexico City?

AC: Mexico City is increasingly becoming a key hub during Art Week and a meeting point for Latin American countries. This year’s open call received many applications from Colombia, Argentina, and Chile in particular. We’re seeing the call reach new audiences and continue to grow. Through partnerships like the one we established with the Biennial of the Americas in Denver and the Salón Prize, we’re solidifying the platform not just as a space that promotes Mexican artists, but also one that includes and presents proposals from across the country and Latin America. We also welcomed delegations from the Argentine Embassy and had Latin American participation in the Projects section, which further reinforces this international connection.

HL: Can you briefly tell us about the other Salón ACME sections we haven’t mentioned? What remains, and what has evolved?

AC: Bodega invites us to be more flexible with exhibition formats. In this edition, curated by Enrique Giner, we showcased artists based in Mexico City but from various nationalities. Their approach—drawing from publishing, architecture, and interior design—gave the show a unique personality.

The Patio was another great success, featuring Julieta Gil, a Mexico City artist who works with digital mapping in public spaces. She presented an immersive experience combining digital mapping with botany.

In the Projects section, we saw a shift toward more collaborative proposals. Shared spaces were offered to support emerging projects, giving them their first experience in a fair format. We also aimed to create connections between local galleries and international spaces, building a support network that acts as a bridge for understanding the local scene.

The Editorial Room, run by Terremoto, was very well received and highlighted the importance of having these spaces within Salón ACME. This year also saw stronger collaboration between brands, sponsors, and artists—with projects like Volvo with Laura Elena Garruño and Don Julio with Federico Pérez Villoro—enabling more ambitious and daring installations.

HL: What’s next for Salón ACME? What concerns you as a platform, and what can we expect from future editions?

AC: Next up is expanding Salón ACME through Estudio ACME and continuing to collaborate with institutions. We like this model because we believe it has great potential to strike a balance between the public sphere and private initiative, which shouldn’t be in conflict. We want to keep exploring that balance and these collaborations.

Rather than growing in size, the focus is on raising the quality of the content, enhancing the audience experience, and ensuring accessibility—which remains one of our biggest challenges. We’re also at a key point to rethink the Salón: exploring the possibility of expanding into other spaces and buildings, not necessarily changing its format, but taking advantage of new opportunities with both local and international institutions to broaden the platform’s phases and sections.

Next year, we may see a guest country in the Projects section and the possibility of hosting galleries from certain countries we’re collaborating with on a governmental level—opening up broader dialogues and deepening connections between the international and the local.

As for the Invited State, it’s yet to be decided, but we want to be more involved: travel to the state, explore its gastronomy and music, and continue seeking agents, professionals, and collaborators to join our advisory board. We also aim to strengthen our international guest program in collaboration with Material, which over the past two years has brought excellent results and feedback from our local community.