Similarly, the exhibitions do not fall under common art world definitions. Technically, Algo is a commercial gallery — all of the work is for sale, Mr. Riestra reminds visitors — but it has the feel of a nonprofit museum, with group shows by international names.
The current exhibition, “Desert Flood,” co-curated by Jérôme Sans and Mr. Riestra and running through July 31, is a good example. The show has just three artists, but each contributes monumental works, starting with “An Impending Disaster (collaborations)” by the Swiss artist Claudia Comte, a forest of towering marble sculptures, each carved into the shape of a saguaro cactus, and planted on a floor covered in 30 tons of sand imported from a beach in Veracruz. Visitors get sand in their sneakers as they wander through what feels like an indoor desert, admiring art that carries a cautionary message about the state of the environment.
Another gallery space features “We Are All in the Same Boat,” from the Danish art cooperative Superflex. The text-based work is simply the words in its title rendered in blue neon letters, about six feet tall, that are standing on the floor of a dark room. Viewers walk all around the illuminated words, with many of them seizing the opportunity to bask in its moody lighting and snap selfies.
Installed in a nearby foyer is “Wild Quantities” by Gabriel Rico, an artist based in Guadalajara. It consists of a series of 35 neon sculptures, hung from the ceiling, and casting purplish-red hues on the walls, floor and ceiling. The lit-up pieces include numbers and letters, horses and hashtags, and invite viewers to “play with reason and intuition,” according to the exhibition text, as they consider how seemingly unrelated objects can be connected.
The three artists also have other works in the exhibition, and they float throughout the Algo space, which encompasses multiple floors and a variety of rooms large and small. The show’s fluidity mirrors the personality of LagoAlgo overall. Spaces meld together as artworks flow up and down staircases, blend into the cafe area and push outward through the main lobby.