The collectors are thirsty for a non-virtual fair experience… Perhaps Mexico City is where the art world will meet first?!

Article by Veronika Kolés (Art Investment Advisor, Curator, and Contributor to Spirit & Flesh Magazine)

Zélika Garcia: creator, connector, catalyst, collector. A female entrepreneur that has reformed the industry of art for Latin America. Her creation: the infamous ZsONA MACO, has transformed the way that people experience art in Latin America. She has provided a platform to the fresh, opportunistic, and developing contemporary art space in Mexico to bloom in front of the eyes of the world. Here, every February, we (the art world) gather to drink up the Mexican hospitality.

Mexico is the land of color and expression: fueled by a culture that is thousands of years deep, by the gods of the sun and the moon and the vibrant spirit world of the Mayans, and the modern Mexican cultural movement. Mexico forever supported the multidisciplinary expression of creativity. Art is intervened within and is the DNA of everything we see, feel, experience here. This land of deeply-rooted authenticity has been birthing leading artists of our lifetimes — of all lifetimes, and it is going to continue to do so for all times.

Zélika invited us, the foreigners, to see it all. Curated into an honest and diverse program that is designed to elevate the local galleries, while empowering the international art players within an experience of culture that the collectors are so thirsty to experience each year. It is the perfect combination of revolutionary art, Mexico City’s roaring history, extraordinary cuisine, chic boutiques, eclectic experiences, mezcal, and the warm Mexican people that bring the collectors back, year after year wanting more!

This is how I fell in love with Mexico City: through the well-curated agenda of ZsONA MACO that is programmed by Zélika’s extraordinary team who provide a comprehensive immersion into the local culture, key landmarks, and of course: the socializing — which every art collector loves and is a highlight of the art fair experience. Now, in our present-day reality of the art world, where we are not sure if online viewing rooms with a glass of champagne on the living room sofa have become the new “norm” for an extended while: we know it will have to go back to in-person art exploration soon enough. Some say that ZsONA MACO in Mexico City will be the time that we all meet first! Whether that is the case, or not, only time will tell, however, what we do know is that this fair is an experience we highly look forward to.

What does it do for the local culture? What is next? How is this contemporary art leader facing the current world dynamics: let’s hear it from her own words … Spirit & Flesh had the pleasure of getting some of the most curious questions answered by Zélika herself.

Zélika Garcia, Image Courtesy of ZsONAMACO

S&F: Where were you born? What is your background?

ZG: I was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. From a very young age, art has inspired me and the world of creativity has always fascinated me, so I studied the Bachelor of Arts at the University of Monterrey thinking of graduating as an artist.

S&F: What was your life before ZsONAMACO? 

ZG: I was in college and started ZⓈONAMACO right after graduation.

S&F: What motivates you? 

ZG: I’m very motivated to see how ZsONAMACO has grown. In our last edition on February, we gathered for the first time the 4 fairs (ZsONAMACO México Arte Contemporáneo, ZsONAMACO Diseño, ZsONAMACO Foto and ZsONAMACO Salón) during ‘ZsONAMACO Art Week’ with great success and lots of sales. This motivates me to continue working on reinventing the fair.

S&F: What inspired you to create ZsONAMACO?

ZG: Initially I was inspired by the Expo Arte Fair that was held in Guadalajara until the end of the nineties. Later, when I started the fair, it was a moment of great changes for Mexico City: Mexican galleries that are currently international leaders were starting, and collecting was not as common as it is now. It was a combination of the context, the support of the collectors, the trust of the exhibitors and sponsors, and the constant work with our collaborators. I think I found my inspiration in the dissemination of the numerous artistic proposals that already existed and that needed a space for their promotion.

ZsONAMACO, Image Courtesy of ZsONAMACO, 2020

S&F: What would you say are the three things that define a good leader? Have you always been a natural leader? Or is this a quality that you acquired over time?

ZG: Being a good leader is something you work overtime because you never finish learning. The three things that define a good leader are: Good communication with your team, creativity, and confidence. Being a good leader includes sometimes receiving a lot of breeding season others and always keeping a balance being able to listen to others and learn from your mistakes.

S&F: How do you define success?

ZG: To do what you love.

S&F: What has been your most satisfying moment in ZsONAMACO for you? 

ZG: To see each new edition of the fair materialized is very satisfactory. Organizing the fair implies a lot of collaborations and at the same time, a lot of work not only from us but from all the exhibitors, curators, institutions, publications and visitors that make each edition possible. One of the most satisfying moments is to the last day of the fair knowing our exhibitors are happy.

S&F: What were the biggest challenges that you faced at ZsONAMACO and how did you overcome them?

ZG: In the beginning, the challenge was to convince international galleries to participate, now we have the challenge of encouraging collecting through different levels and audiences. Organizing ZsONAMACO is a satisfactory but challenging activity because I’m always looking forward to showcase better editions with better proposals. Each fair requires a careful renovation and represents the accomplishment of bringing artworks and visitors together and embracing different art disciplines… that’s the biggest challenge. Next year is a big challenge, we are finding new ways to reinvent the fair.

S&F: Art Culture of Mexico and Latin America as a whole has greatly been influenced by ZsONAMACO: has your creation met your intentions and fulfilled your anticipations? 

ZG: The growth of ZsONAMACO has been satisfactory. It has long exceeded my expectations, but every year we work on being better and exploring new alternatives.

S&F: As a woman leading the biggest art fair in Latin America, how do you balance your life at home with the time you spend masterminding, leading, and creating?

ZG: I try to balance my time, but my personal life is very related to my professional activities. I cannot go on a trip without visiting a local gallery or collection, that’s why I always try to visit new places where I can meet new artists or venues.

S&F: What is inspiring you in life right now? 

ZG: My main inspiration is to be a better person and grow as a human being. I’ve been able to spend more time reading and discovering and that’s inspiring me. I like introspection and listening to people that I admire and listen to their advice.  Although the current situation is uncertain and so complex, I see artists producing new works. This confirms the importance of art as a way to liberate our minds and see other’s expressions that can communicate with our own thoughts and feelings. I’m inspired as well by galleries, museums and other art institutions that are making an effort to bear with the situation and keep their teamwork and artists together facing this reality.

S&F: What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?

ZG: Founding ZsONAMACO!

S&F: What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started ZsONAMACO?

ZG: I think I would prefer to know the same as I did because it wouldn’t have been the same experience or the same effort. I mean, learning is so important to grow professionally and personally.

GE Galería’s Booth at ZsONAMACO of Gallerist Gabriel Elizondo, Photography by Veronika Kolés, 2019.

S&F: What do you think ZsONAMACO’s role is in the development of Mexico City and the evolution of Latin American culture? 

ZG: Latin America has grown during the last decades. Since the fair launched in 2002, Mexico has developed a collecting culture and the fair has stimulated the development of exhibition venues. ZsONAMACO is a platform for Latin American galleries to promote contemporary practices worldwide. Also, the fair is a place where international collectors find local works and an event where networking happens among international galleries and local collectors. Mexico City it’s the epicenter of the art scene during ‘ZsONAMACO Art Week’.

S&F: What is next for ZsONAMACO?

ZG: Working on the next edition under the challenge of the current situation.

ZsONAMACO, Image Courtesy of ZsONAMACO, 2020

S&F: With the recent COVID-19 epidemic, much of the art world finds itself at a standstill. With major global art events being canceled, the pandemic has brought up conversations of fundamental shifts in the way we interact with culture. Do you think that the current global health crisis will change the way that collectors interact with art? How has the crisis affected you so far? Are you taking any measures when planning ZsONAMACO 2021? 

ZG: The world is changing in many ways, digital culture has been important for all of us, before and now it’s the tool we have to connect with others. Even though technology allows us to bring art to more people, I still think the presence is essential. I believe the experience to be in front of artwork would never be the same as looking at it through digital platforms. The impact a work causes on you physically and intellectually is a very special moment. For our 2021 edition, we’re still monitoring the situation and trying to figure out how we can reinvent ourselves.

S&F: If you were to write a book about yourself, how would you name it?

ZG: Red hair, red thoughts

Zélika Garcia, Image Courtesy of ZsONAMACO