Locoto Residency

Overview

Locoto Residency is an independent, artist-run residency located in a private home in the town of Santiago Tepalcatlalpan, on the outskirts of Xochimilco in Mexico City. Situated at a liminal threshold where urban sprawl meets ancient water canals and Mesoamerican agricultural history, Locoto hosts cohorts of four artists for four-week immersive stays. The inaugural program centers on “chinampa as a method”—referencing Mesoamerican artificial farming islands—framing artistic practice through patience, layered accumulation, slow time, listening, and observation rather than rushed production.

Objectives

Locoto Residency aims to provide a reflective, non-extractive space for creative thought and practice where artists can slow down and allow a unique territory to inform their work. Grounded in respect for local inhabitants and Xochimilco’s complex heritage, Locoto seeks to challenge the immediacy of contemporary art production. By offering close team support, curated territorial excursions, and shared living, the residency strives to foster an atmosphere of active listening, dialogue, and respectful engagement between international creators, the local environment, and neighboring communities.

Programs / Opportunities

• Four-Week Residential Program: A fee-based residential stay for four artists per cohort, providing private bedrooms in a shared house, shared work areas, basic office supplies, weekly fresh breakfast baskets, and access to kitchen/laundry facilities.
• Territorial Immersion Excursions: Four structured excursions through Xochimilco and surrounding environments (covering transit and entry fees) designed as non-touristic immersion into the local geography and community dynamics.
• Public Open Studio & Archival Documentation: A public closing open studio event (with potential group exhibition opportunities) and inclusion of resident process reflection texts in Locoto’s archival communications.

Target Community

• Multidisciplinary Visual Artists & Practitioners: International and domestic creators across visual arts, photography, performance, sound, ceramics, video, writing, curatorial, or experimental practices without age, nationality, or disciplinary restrictions.