Portrait of Lorena Junco, with her painting by Richard Prince, from the Nurse series. Courtesy Lorena Junco and Shaped in Mexico. Photo: Anna Muñoz.
Shaped in Mexico: Interview With Collector and Philanthropist Lorena Junco
Lorena Junco de la Vega is an art collector with a purpose. She founded the Margain-Junco Collection in Monterrey, Mexico, with her husband Eduardo Margain, which is now comprised of over 100 works of art spanning multiple mediums and disciplines, with an emphasis on artists from or influenced by Mexico. But simply collecting art, she found, was not enough--particularly in a country with a general lack of infrastructure, education, and international dialogue to support contemporary art. Artists needed support beyond the purchase or commission. To that end the Margain-Junco Collection established initiatives to support the development of emerging artists and foster the art scene in Mexico, and to promote awareness of art from Mexico internationally. These projects include the Distrito 14 Art Project in Monterrey, and the Shaped in Mexico exhibition of art from or inspired by Mexico. Shaped in Mexico is now in its second year, and is currently on view at the Oxo Tower in London from September 4 - 12, 2015.
In the following exchange, MutualArt talks with Lorena Junco about her collection, philanthropic projects, and why there's a need for "fair trade" in the art world.
Interior shot of Lorena Junco's house, with painting by Raúl Cerrillo. Courtesy Lorena Junco and Shaped in Mexico. Photo: Anna Muñoz.
Natalie Hegert: What drew you to begin collecting art?
Lorena Junco: Collecting art is a great passion of mine. Art has always been very special to me. Ever since I was a young child it was clear that I would express myself through art; I share a deep connection with it.
Silvia Morton, my business partner for the Shaped in Mexico contemporary art exhibition and the Distrito 14 gallery in Monterrey, has been key to honing this passion into projects. Silvia and I have enjoyed a close, powerful friendship since we were very young, but little did I know that it would be her who would show me that I could make a change through art, whilst staying true to my passion.
Through collecting art and supporting our artists I have learned that you can be an agent of change, and Mexico desperately needs this. I understand that being a good citizen means being true to yourself and being the best person you can be - by pursuing your dreams you will inspire others to do so, which is what Shaped in Mexico is all about.
Interior shot from Lorena Junco's house, with Gim Hong-Sok's sculpture, Rabbit Construction. Courtesy Lorena Junco and Shaped in Mexico. Photo: Anna Muñoz.
NH: Distrito 14, a non-commercial gallery and cultural space in Monterrey, was founded in 2006 by yourself and Silvia P. Morton, and the Shaped in Mexico exhibition is now in its second year. How and why did you come to organize these initiatives?
LJ: I've always felt there is a real lack of support for art and education in Mexico. I started helping young artists by buying their work and supporting the production of work 10 years ago. However, Silvia and I realized that supporting artists financially was not enough, we also needed more educational programs in our society, which in turn would allow very young student artists to have their first solo shows and provide young curators with a space in which to start their careers.
Christian Becerra, Mexicanofilia 2 (Bandera de Arizona), 2015. Courtesy the artist and Shaped in Mexico.
Together we have worked on many diverse events, including working alongside other independent art programs that develop artists by inviting established curators to give lectures and assess their portfolios. We also assisted the formation and management of a museum on the outskirts of Monterrey in Villa Juarez: a disadvantaged area that barely has parks or recreational areas.
I have always felt that art helps in the transformation and elevation of the human consciousness and spirit. After working for so many years alongside talented Mexican artists we felt it was time to take a bigger step and form Shaped in Mexico. This exhibition, held in London, not only shows the work of artists we have been supporting for some time, but also brings to light other talented artists who are not necessarily Mexican, but are profoundly inspired by our country.
Adrian Guerrero, Craft, 2011. Courtesy the artist and Shaped in Mexico.
NH: This idea to promote emerging art from or about Mexico, was that a goal that you had in mind from the outset of starting the Margain-Junco Collection?
LJ: The collection has been growing and defining itself organically and my admiration and knowledge for art continues to grow as I get more involved with the artists and their work, regardless of their nationality.
NH: I was curious about the fact that on the Distrito 14 website the term "fair trade art from Mexico" is used--implying that there is such a thing as unfair trade. Can you tell me about that situation?
Oweena Fogarty, Sin título, Playa Collado, Veracruz, 2014. Courtesy the artist and Shaped in Mexico.
LJ: We believe there is such a thing as "unfair trade." By "fair trade" we mean understanding that our relationships and partnerships with our artists should always provide them with growing opportunities.
We achieve this by supporting them every step of the way: by helping them create awareness of a real Mexico across the world, by becoming a mirror of what is happening at a certain moment in history. We are empowering our artists by reminding them that they are valued: that we are listening, observing and learning through their art and their message to the world.
We focus on transparency and respect. We believe in teamwork, involving artists in the establishment of their career by providing them with tools and a solid platform for better decision processes. We seek mutual respect: being paid on time, delivering on time and always working to your highest standards, always true to market price.
Dialogue is a missing concept in Mexico. We are building bridges for discourse with the international community. Sharing, promoting and protecting our cultural identity will always be our responsibility and we want to lead by example.
Mauricio Cervantes, Mayahuel and the 13 levels of the sky, Tlacolula, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2015. Courtesy the artist and Shaped in Mexico. Photo: Daniel Molina.
NH: How would you characterize the art scene in Mexico? How does the scene differ in Monterrey, versus Mexico City, for instance?
LJ: I believe the art scene in Mexico is very complex, the country has different regions that have developed many levels of appreciation for contemporary art. There are five cities that have an established art scene: Tijuana, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Monterrey and Mexico City.
Mexico City has one of the largest populations in the world and has accumulated two thousand years of culture; it is a dynamic, diverse and multifaceted cultural centre full of private and public museums, art schools, galleries, independent art projects and lots of talented artists. However, it has very little governmental support to promote artists outside of the country and no private platforms to do so. This is another main reason why we created Shaped in Mexico, which emerged from Monterrey--a 500 hundred year-old city which has become one of the foremost industrial centres in Mexico, and a prime location for potential art collectors.
Installation view, Shaped in Mexico, Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, 2015. Courtesy the artist and Shaped in Mexico. Photo: Sop Rodchenvko.
NH: The artists in Shaped in Mexico were either invited or selected from an open call. Were there any surprising results from the open call, any artists you discovered that you wouldn't have known previously?
LJ: Most of the artists are new encounters for me; some are emerging and some mid-career. Doing the open call was a great way to get to know a broader spectrum of the contemporary art scene [of artists] who are inspired by Mexico.
Installation view, Shaped in Mexico, Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, 2015. Courtesy the artist and Shaped in Mexico. Photo: Sop Rodchenvko.
NH: There are some very interesting artists who were invited to take part in Shaped in Mexico's Project Rooms. They include photographers, painters, sculptors, fabric artists, architects, and researchers. Some are self-taught, very idiosyncratic, or unconventional artists. What was your process like, you and the other curators, that brought about this selection of artists?
LJ: This task was performed by our team of curators, bringing together the group of invited artists alongside artists found through the open call. We selected artworks that we felt epitomized the current artistic scene and situation in Mexico within a global context. Once our curators shortlisted the artwork, Silvia and I studied the content to ensure it stayed true to the concept and ethos of Shaped in Mexico.
Alejandra Alarcon, Alicia reina de corazones, 2015. Courtesy the artist and Shaped in Mexico.
NH: Can you tell us about a couple of your favorite works or artists that you have in your collection?
LJ: It is hard for me to choose amongst them since each has a very special story to tell.
Raul Cerrillo's NeoDioses sculptures brilliantly encompass Mexican art heritage and multiple cultural time periods in one piece.
My Richard Prince work - which comes from his Nurse series and features a joke about a doctor's visit - was bought whilst I was going through a health issue, involving a surgeon's medical malpractice: he removed the wrong side, literally. I was very ill and regularly visiting hospitals for multiple surgeries. When I saw his painting I simply fell in love with it; it was a reflection of my situation.
Gabriel Orozco's work Samurai Tree is also important to me. Gabriel has raised the bar for how Mexican art is being seen around the world and I will always support people that do this.
Finally, I always wish to support emerging artists. Works in my collection include those by the artists Oslyn Whizar, who expresses her pictorial poetry using textiles--a traditional artistic medium in Mexico --and Alejandra Alarcon, whose macabre fairy-tale images are depicted in soft water colours. Though at first Alarcon's work may look naïve, the discourse within them is comically grotesque; her art is informed by feminism and a sense of power.
Lorena Junco in her home, with Gabriel Orozco, Samurai Tree, and, on the table, Damien Hirst, The Skull (exploded). Courtesy Lorena Junco and Shaped in Mexico. Photo: Anna Muñoz.
--Natalie Hegert