ABOUT THE EDITH FARNSWORTH HOUSE

The Edith Farnsworth House is one of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s most important works, on par with landmarks like the Barcelona Pavilion and the Seagram Building. It represents both the culmination of his residential designs and a pure expression of modernist ideals developed in Europe and fully realized in the U.S.

Defined by extreme simplicity, transparency, and precision, the house strips living down to its essentials—blurring the boundary between interior and landscape. Its structure is both functional and expressive, achieving a level of clarity and openness not possible in larger urban projects.

Its significance was recognized early, before construction, a model was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, where it was hailed as a bold evolution of Mies’s work. Today, the Farnsworth House is widely considered a pivotal moment in his career and a defining icon of modern architecture.

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ABOUT NOEL MERCADO

Noel is a Mexican American, Chicago-based artist who works across various multimedia forms. His practice revolves around exploring the cultural meanings embedded in found objects, which he repurposes into new, expressive approaches. All of his works are handmade with a deep appreciation for quality, attention to detail, and craftsmanship—everything becomes a canvas in his hands.

Noel’s appreciation for design, craftsmanship, and experimentation has led him to unique brand projects with Knoll, USM Modular Furniture, RIMOWA, Soho House, and Porsche, to name a few. Noel has shown work at Expo Chicago and Future Fair in New York, with more projects and showings in the upcoming year.

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ABOUT EN CAMINOS

en caminos introduces a new body of work that engages directly with the existing interior of Farnsworth House by repurposing and reupholstering sourced designs by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. 2026 Artist in Residence, Noel Mercado, replaces the upholstery of select furniture with textiles and leather brought from his family’s home state of Jalisco, Mexico, drawing from tablecloths, repurposed bags, belts, and leather remnants shaped by traditions of domestic making and repair. These materials carry generational knowledge formed through labor, migration, and resourcefulness, forms of expertise frequently excluded from canonical histories of modernist design. By situating these transformed works within the house, Mercado inserts himself and the historical path behind him into the conversation, expanding it to include overlooked histories that have long existed in parallel with modernist design.

Curated in collaboration with Alivé Piliado, the exhibition extends into the Gallery to encounter Mercado’s methods, process, and original furniture designs. This presentation traces his approach to material translation and demonstrates how his practice moves between sourcing, reworking, and careful minute craft. Through subtle yet deliberate interventions, Mercado redirects attention toward questions of cultural identity and migration, allowing inherited knowledge to sit visibly within a space historically defined by architectural purity and restraint. en caminos offers a thoughtful reflection on authorship, identity, and design, demonstrating how contemporary practice can dialogue with modernism while reshaping its narrative from within.

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