Materiality and Identity: From the Vernacular Object to the Global

Date: 24 March 2026
Time: 17:30 (local time)
Location: Cosentino City CDMX, Goldsmith 53, Polanco, 3 Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11540 CDMX
Format: Talk + conversation

What makes an object become a design icon, and how does that identity evolve when it moves from local culture to global markets?

In this talk, we explore how foundational objects of Mexican design are being reinterpreted in 2026 through technological and sustainable surfaces, responding to new expectations in the hospitality sector. The session connects material innovation with cultural meaning, looking at how construction methods, craft, and contemporary production reshape what we recognize as “Mexican” design today.

We will also discuss the role of design education in this transformation: how we can prepare the next generation of architects and designers to translate local heritage into an increasingly globalized, digitally advanced market without losing authenticity, context, or critical thinking.

Speakers

Ana Elena Mallet is a curator specializing in modern and contemporary design and a Distinguished Professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey. She is an academic member of MoMA’s Architecture and Design acquisitions committee and an invited curator of the MUAC/UNAM collection of modern and contemporary Mexican design. In March 2024, she curated Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America 1940–1980 at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and has collaborated with institutions and collections including M+ (Hong Kong), the Art Institute of Chicago, LACMA, the YSL Museum in Marrakech, and several leading university museums in Mexico.

Cristina Mateo is Associate Dean at IE School of Architecture & Design and specializes in urban ethnography, branding, communication, digital transformation, and new business models. Before joining IE, she led strategic planning at the Fundación Siglo (Culture and Tourism, Castilla y León) and worked with Madrid Global on international strategy and city branding. She holds a PhD in Sociology from Goldsmiths, University of London, and an Executive MBA from IE Business School. She has published extensively on cultural consumption and identity in global cities.

This event is ideal for architects, interior designers, hospitality professionals, and anyone interested in the intersection of materials, identity, sustainability, and contemporary design practice.