IK Lab Is A New Treehouse-Like Art Gallery In Tulum

Starting today, the new Art With Me festival is taking place over four days in Tulum. As one of the cities near and dear to A Hotel Life’s heart, the concept of Art With Me is exciting; it’s among the growing trend of festivals attached to causes, with environmentalism being attached to this one. The draw is a series of events such as food and mezcal tastings, meditation sessions, and a headlining music set by Thievery Corporation, alongside a series of panels and talks about sustainability and support for our global environment (including a talk about the Stay Plastic Free movement by AHL founder Ben Pundole tomorrow). All of this is spread across the beautiful spaces Tulum has to offer.

One of those spaces is IK Lab, a new gallery in the city. IK Lab has partnered with the festival to showcase their debut exhibit, Alignment. The first thing people will feel when they step into the gallery is being enveloped in an intricate treehouse. Designed by painter Eduardo Neira on the grounds of his eco-resort Azulik, a connection to nature was key to IK Lab. The space is balanced on stilts so as to not disrupt the wildlife below, and no new trees were cut down to create it (cement, natural tree vines, and locally sourced wood dominate the materials). The walkways inside twist and turn as barefooted guests walk through, as natural light passes through the round windows and the narrow gaps between the sticks that make up the ceiling.

It was Santiago Rumney Guggenheim, great-grandson of Peggy Guggenheim, that convinced Neira to turn the space into a gallery. Serving as the director of IK Lab, Guggenheim has plans to use the space for collaborative projects in diverse creative fields. Alignments, featuring work from Tatiana Trouve, Artur Lescher, and Margo Trushina, plays on the physical and metaphysical space, with rock and metal sculptures that contrast the organic space and present a meditative experience.

Tulum has been a popular destination for years now, but with places like IK Lab and events like Art With Me, we’re beginning to see the town use its resources to offer something deeper to ourselves and our environment.

‘Alignment’ is open now through September 2018 at IK Lab

Art With Me takes place May 10th-13th in Tulum

[Photos: IK Lab]