Across the Border: Tijuana Trip

MOPA and friends trekked into Tijuana for a conversation on contemporary Mexican photography followed by an evening that delighted palates with Japanese fusion cuisine, and craft beer and chocolate pairings.

Host Josué Castro wonderfully opened his doors to The Kitchen in the Zona Centro, the heart of Tijuana. After sampling local wines from Cetto and Palafox winery and tapas, the evening kicked off with artistic conversations surrounding emerging trends found in the Mexican art scene. The curatorial insight shared by Gerardo Montiel Klint, Alejandro Castellano and Mauricio Ortiz gave a unique perspective into the cultural and political issues that shape the work of emerging Mexican photographers.

Naturally, MOPA is grateful for the Getty Foundation’s efforts on bringing Mexican art to Californian audiences. This allows MOPA to extensively research this new frontier.

While the upstairs gallery was brimming with great conversation, the Punto Siete restaurant below was preparing an exclusive tasting menu for the MOPA group. Head chef and man-in-charge, Moses, colorfully guided us through his creative flavor pairings that were further complemented by wines from Alixmia wineries from Valle de Guadalupe.

Finally, the group headed to its final destination Mamut Brewery with a quick detour to the TJChina contemporary gallery space. The final stop included sampling beer and chocolate parings from Mamut Brewery and Venus Chocolates. A MOPA favorite pairing was the Hefeweizen and Platano con Nuez.

MOPA travelers learned Tijuana is bustling with creativity, culture and photography. Stay tuned for future adventures.