Edith Farnsworth House and Gallery is excited to announce the opening of “en caminos,” a new exhibition by Chicago-based artist and craftsman Noel Mercado.

As the first exhibition of the 2026–27 season, “en caminos” launches the two-year-long celebration of the Farnsworth House’s 75th birthday and introduces the curatorial focus on Mexican Modernism.

The public opening will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. March 21. Admission is free, but guests are asked to RSVP in advance.

Developed in direct response to the historic interior of the Farnsworth House, “en caminos” introduces a new body of work in which Mercado repurposes and reupholsters selected furniture originally designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, according to a news release from Farsnworth House.

By replacing the upholstery with textiles and leather sourced from his family’s home state of Jalisco, Mexico, Mercado incorporates materials such as tablecloths, repurposed bags, belts, and leather remnants – objects shaped by domestic traditions of making, repair, and resourcefulness, according to the release.

These materials “carry generational knowledge rooted in labor, migration, and inherited craft practices – forms of expertise often excluded from canonical narratives of modernist design,” according to the release.

Mercado inserts his own history – and the histories that accompany him – into the architectural conversation, “gently expanding it to acknowledge parallel lineages long overlooked within modernism,” according to the release.

Curated in collaboration with Alivé Piliado, the exhibition extends into the Gallery, where visitors can explore Mercado’s methods, process and original furniture designs.

Through subtle but intentional interventions, Mercado redirects attention toward questions of cultural identity, migration and authorship, according to the release.

“en caminos” offers a reflective dialogue between contemporary practice and modernist legacy.

For additional information, contact: klochner@savingplaces.org.