PENUMBRA

Beyond the blinding spotlight

In the penumbra, in the in-between spaces, in the infinite spectrum of grays shaped by the interplay of light and shadow, a dance of perception unfolds, where imagination and creativity reveal their brilliance.

Penumbra is more than a fitting name for the gallery that Yulia Selivanova and Studio H. Fernández inaugurated in 2024 during Mexico City’s Art Week— a space for creativity beyond the blinding spotlight that, by convention, would be placed center stage.

“Penumbra aspires to build a platform for creative dialogue. Participants are invited to exchange ideas, techniques, and visions, fostering a dynamic conversation where artistic expressions intertwine and enrich one another”.

“We find ourselves in the penumbra ”is the phrase with which Carlos H. Fernández opens and closes his discreet interventions within the gallery’s program. A gesture that once again kindles a soft-burning flame, allowing its glow to shift toward the artists invited to the 2025 edition. The proposal is presented with the candor of a newcomer—one who, in truth, holds the wisdom of an expert but recognizes the vast creative landscape before them.

Lighthouse, the exhibition launched on the latest edition of México Art Week by Penumbra Gallery, celebrates local and international talent: Max von Werz, Aagnes, Dina Roudman & Dan Cui, Rogelio Vallejo Bores (HW Studio), Carla Cascales Alimbau, Roberto Michelsen Engell, Lázaro (Jorge González Yañez), Salar Bicheranloo (THEMOIRè), and Taller Batán. “Nine artists and nine interpretations of light as an essential element of life and art. Lighthouse reminds us of humanity’s enduring fascination with light and our instinctive pursuit of illumination—both physical and metaphorical,” summarizes Carlos H. Fernández.

During the intense Art Week, stepping into Penumbra offers a moment to observe, to discover, to be stimulated by new ideas, and to rediscover a sense of community. “Penumbra aspires to build a platform for creative dialogue. Participants are invited to exchange ideas, techniques, and visions, fostering a dynamic conversation where artistic expressions intertwine and enrich one another,” explains Carlos.

At Penumbra, it is the shadows, with their infinite nuances, that guide visitors from one artwork to the next, arranged throughout the grand entrance patio of this historic house—once owned by President Porfirio Díaz—located in the Santa María la Ribera neighborhood in central Mexico City.

In this place, where darkness is not absolute and the gaze slowly adjusts its perception, an infinite play of subtleties is revealed.

In this place, where darkness is not absolute and the gaze slowly adjusts its perception, an infinite play of subtleties is revealed. Within this interplay of interpretations lies the essence of the project: a space for discovery, exploration, and wonder, where everything is possible, and the unknown not only seduces but invites creation with no limits.