Lecture + Book Signing

Author Talk with Writer and Curator Su Wu

October 11, 2026
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

A photograph of an open book spread featuring a photograph of a well designed library interior spanning both pages.
Mesoamerican Modern: Ancient Ideas in Contemporary Mexican Homes by Su Wu. Photo credit: Courtesy of the author.

Join us for an author talk and book signing with Su Wu, a writer and independent curator based in Mexico City and curator of FWM’s current exhibition, You Stretched Diagonally Across It: Contemporary Tapestry.

Wu will discuss her new book, Mesoamerican Modern, the first publication to explore the pre-Hispanic traditions shaping contemporary Mexican interior design. Featuring sixteen distinctive homes across Mexico, the book reveals how ancient visual and material traditions continue to inspire innovative design today.

Following the talk, Wu will sign copies of Mesoamerican Modern at FWM. Guests are also invited to explore You Stretched Diagonally Across It and experience the exhibition she curated.

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Event Information

October 11, 2026
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

The Fabric Workshop and Museum
1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Harry I. Feldman Forum

 

Free | Suggested $10 donation
Advance registration required

RSVP

This lushly illustrated volume presents sixteen remarkable homes that exemplify this movement. Rather than reproducing classical European archetypes, they reinterpret pre-Hispanic forms and patterns with striking originality. Rooms follow the geometry of pyramids, feature tunnel-like volcanic stone entrances, or remain open to the sky. Water channels cut through living areas, gardens merge seamlessly with indoor spaces, and light and shadow are treated as materials in their own right.

Interspersed throughout the book are visual field guides exploring themes such as pattern, native flora, and collecting, offering readers a deeper understanding of cultural influences.


About the Participants

Photo credit: Ryan Collerd

Su Wu is a writer and independent curator based in Mexico City, examining forms and concepts drawn from the history of art and design to investigate premises of function, capability, and use. Across commissions, collaborations, and curatorial projects, Wu is among the leading advocates in a new generation of curators of post-disciplinary art, interrogating an emerging field of discourse and practice at the intersection of art, craft, design, and architecture, while considering the conditions and strategies that turn one into another. Wu is the author of Mesoamerican Modern, published by Phaidon Press, 2026.