Today we’d like to introduce you to Alfonso Garrido.
Hi Alfonso , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Voyage interview
I was born in Torreón, Coahuila, in northern Mexico , a desert city far from the ocean. My mother is an artist, so I grew up surrounded by painting, ceramics, and constant creation. That shaped my way of seeing the world from an early age.
I studied marketing and later took a sabbatical that changed everything. I moved to Australia, studied film at Sydney Film School, and became a dive master. That was the first time I lived fully connected to the ocean. It opened something in me. When I came back to Mexico in 2008, I couldn’t stay still. I started traveling to Tulum and Riviera Maya every month to dive, film, and reconnect with nature.
At that time, I had a small production company working on videos for NGOs and environmental projects. But in 2011, I decided to leave everything and move to Tulum. I found a simple house by the beach, where Hotel Panamera is now. There was no electricity, no bars, just solar panels and a very raw life. I lived there for 6 months and rented it out on Airbnb. But I felt something was missing: creative energy.
That’s how Residencia Gorila started, the first art residency in the Mexican Caribbean. I began inviting friends ,filmmakers, designers and eventually muralists, the first one Momo and American artist know in that time for his unique style involving :adapted masonry techniques, strategies based on collage, computer code, and seriality created a interesting visual language.
Public art changed everything. It became a movement.
As the project grew, we opened Tulum Art Club in 2016. , a platform to host artists exhibitions, workshops, and create connections between artists and travelers. Since then, we’ve collaborated with hotels, villas, and real estate projects producing murals, installations, limited edition prints, and curated art experiences.
What I love about Tulum is that it’s a young town ( less than 40 years old ) and still feels like a blank canvas. It has an international community and an energy that attracts creatives from all over the world. But strangely, as a Mexican, I noticed there were very few local voices represented. That’s why we launched Horizontes Mexicanos, the first Mexican art festival in Tulum, in partnership with Bacab Tulum. In this first edition, we painted five murals and hosted two art shows. The town is growing so fast, and we saw the chance to bring back soul and meaning through art. The response was beautiful. We connected with new talent and shared something real with the community. Visit tulumartclub.com to see the map of murals
I see every mural and every artist who comes through as part of Tulum’s identity. Since there wasn’t much art here before, we felt the responsibility and the joy of building something from the ground up. This is how we leave a legacy. We have fun, we connect with other creatives, and we enjoy the process while surrounded by the amazing nature the Yucatan has to offer
Right now, I’m also leading the renovation of the Holistika Artwalk, one of the first outdoor museums in the region, which I helped start in 2016. We’re giving it new life. And I’m part of Artesana Village, a new art-driven project inside Holistika where creativity is not an afterthought t’s the foundation. If anyone is curious about being involved , living there or investing they can always reach out. It’s a rare place in Tulum where art and expression are central.
For me, art is about creating cultural value and honoring beauty , not just in the visual sense, but in what holds meaning. Whether it’s rescuing old buildings in my hometown through the Coyote Art week, collaborating with the Espadas family in Yucatán to preserve ancestral pottery, or curating murals that speak to the present moment . everything I do is about connection, identity, and community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, not at all. But that’s also what makes the story meaningful.
Living and creating in Tulum sounds like a dream, and in many ways it is; but behind that, there’s a lot of work, uncertainty, and risk. When I started the residency, there was no art scene here. No support, no institutions (they still aren’t art institutions) , no structure. We had to build everything from scratch: community, audience, spaces, even trust. Many times I had to self-finance projects, and there were moments I wasn’t sure how to continue.
Another big challenge is that Tulum changed fast. In just a few years, it went from being a quiet jungle town to a global destination. That brought opportunities, but also pressure . Real estate booms, higher costs, and sometimes a loss of authenticity. As someone trying to create cultural value, I’ve had to constantly adapt, protect the essence of the work, and stay grounded.
One of the ways we adapted was by creating a hybrid concept, combining Airbnb , art residency and production company . We started hosting travelers who, like me, were looking for real connection, insight into local life, and a chance to experience creativity up close. That model worked beautifully. It created deep connections that still last, inspired many people, and helped me finance my own art projects. It showed me that art and hospitality can go hand in hand when you design it with intention.
Also, being Mexican in Tulum, it’s strange to see how much of the creative space is dominated by foreigners. It motivated me even more to create space for Mexican artists and traditions, but it’s not always easy to open those doors.
Still, I’ve learned to enjoy the process. To work with what I have. To trust that even small projects can make a big impact over time. And somehow, through all the ups and downs, we’ve created a real movement, something that didn’t exist before.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work lives at the intersection of contemporary art, cultural connection, and creative production. Through Tulum Art Club, I specialize in curating and producing art experiences , from residencies and murals to exhibitions, workshops, and consulting for real estate and hospitality projects.
What I’m most known for is activating spaces. Giving soul and cultural meaning to places through art. Whether it’s a hotel, a forgotten building, or a growing town like Tulum, I help bring in artists who can transform those spaces with intention. We produce originals, limited edition prints, immersive events, and curated collections that create value, not just visually, but emotionally and culturally.
What sets my work apart is that it’s rooted in the real context of this land. I’m not trying to replicate a gallery model from New York or Berlin ,I’m building something from here, in connection with the place, the people, and nature. That’s also why I’ve focused on creating platforms for Mexican artists, especially in a town where international voices often dominate the conversation.
One project I’m especially proud of is my ongoing collaboration with the Espadas family in Uayma (@ceramicasuayma) , Yucatán — master ceramicists who have been preserving and evolving traditional Mayan pottery techniques. Working with them opened the door to a part of Mayan culture you won’t find in books, movies, or even archaeological interpretation. It’s a living culture, full of knowledge, humility, and depth. We’ve built a deep relationship over the years, and even opened a small gallery and a residency in Valladolid to share their work with others in a respectful way.
I’m also proud of projects like Horizontes Mexicanos, the first Mexican art festival in Tulum, and the Coyote Art Week in my hometown, where we bring art and life back into the most iconic and historic buildings abandoned. And now, with the Holistika Artwalk renovation and the launch of Artesana Village, I’m focusing on creating long-term platforms where art isn’t just decoration, it’s part of the DNA.
At the core, what I do is about connecting artists with places, locals with travelers, tradition with contemporary expression. And I try to do it in a way that leaves a legacy, while staying playful, curious, and real.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I love most about Tulum is the international community that lives here and visits all year round. It keeps me inspired. it’s like traveling the world without leaving home. I enjoy the feedback, the conversations, and the chance to connect with other creatives from across the globe. The food is amazing, and nature is one of the main reasons I moved here. Living in a place with such an explosion of colors and life is something special. I get to share that with others and witness how it influences their creative and life process . many people ended up staying after their first visit.
I also love that Tulum still feels like a canvas in progress. It’s a young town, less than 40 years old, and things are still being defined. That’s rare, having the chance to be part of shaping its identity and adding something meaningful. There’s a raw creative energy here, and people come to explore new ways of living, creating, and connecting.
What I don’t like is the fast, unplanned growth we’re seeing. Development is happening faster than the infrastructure can support, and often without taking into account the ecological or cultural impact. There’s also very little institutional support for the local art scene, especially for Mexican artists. That’s part of why I do what I do : to create spaces where art, identity, and community can grow together, and hopefully guide that growth in a more thoughtful and respectful way.
Pricing:
- monthly residencis starting form 1400 usd
- oringinals ranging forme 300 -4000 usd
- free shipping framed prints 100-400
- private pottery tours 65 usd per person
- private art events upon request
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tulumartclub.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tulumartclub/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TULUMARTCLUB/
- LinkedIn: https://mx.linkedin.com/in/grupogorila/es
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCarxIFoVgNC6HiE92_Xqjpg
Image Credits
Gonzalo Gatto Ceramic
Cesar Araujo dron photography.
