Long before being dubbed “the new Berlin,” Mexico City’s underground art scene had been thriving for decades. Without readily available resources, artists often use whatever materials they can find, creating works that reflect on the socioeconomic realities of their surroundings. “Francis Alÿs is a great example of someone who captures how interesting the informality of Mexican urban space is,” says Marco Rountree, an artist and co-director of the experimental gallery guadalajara90210.

With this idea of informality in mind, Rountree and his partner, Alma Saladin, recently organized an exhibition in Mexico City inside a four-story apartment complex currently under construction. The building’s exposed staircases inspired the exhibition title Pabellón de las Escaleras(Stairs Pavilion). Over 100 artists, architects, and designers contributed individual artworks and larger projects installed throughout the peculiar site.

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