Galería Campeche

The Galería Campeche is one of the newest contemporary art spaces in Mexico City’s Roma Sur neighborhood. Opened just in 2021, Campeche was founded by Fátima González and Alejandro Jassan. González comes from a background at kurimanzutto, and on the art faculty at Ibero. Jassan is a curator and independent critic whose reviews have appeared Elle and Quien magazines among others.

The gallery’s in good company. As the Roma Norte gallery scene has consolidated, Roma Sur has come of age with some of the area’s most energetic exhibition spaces.  Campeche’s made an open commitment to female and queer artists – and audiences. The exhibition schedule leans heavily towards important parts of the artistic spectrum that have long been underrepresented. Their inclusion in the contemporary art scene brings welcome change worth supporting.

Galería Campeche is at home in a magnificent little Art Deco building. Built in 1940, the Edificio Kin Pech was renovated by C2D architects in 2020. There’s a remarkable collection of photos from the project here. The gallery space was designed by Oioioi architecture studio.

• Not incidentally, Kin Pech is a slight mis-transliteration of the original Yucatec Maya words, Kaan Peech, meaning snake tick. The settlement of Can Pech, today’s Campeche, was founded by a priest, Ah k’iin peech, Ah Kin or Ah K’iin indicating his rank. The street and the gallery names derive from this.

The gallery is practically across the street from the famous Mercado Medellin. Dozens of other quaint and charming shops, eateries, and cafes make the area rather a must-visit anyway. It’s a couple of blocks off Insurgentes Sur and roughly a 10-minute walk north and northeast from Metro Chilpancingo.