TULUM.- Having established itself as the premier destination for art in the Yucatan Peninsula with holistically inspired, ecologically conscious and alchemically transformative exhibitions, SFER IK, the unique multidisciplinary creative sphere founded by the renowned social entrepreneur and visionary Roth, announces Marcello Dantas as its new Museum Director.

Dantas specializes in interdisciplinary practices and is responsible for innovating the concept of ‘museology’ through his unprecedented immersive experiences that engage all senses and alter perceptions. He was the name behind the conception of distinct museums and cultural institutions across South America, such as the Museum of Portuguese Language, Japan House São Paulo and the Museum of Nature in Brazil; Museo del Caribe and Museo del Carnaval in Colombia; and the Telecommunications Museum in Argentina. Dantas has curated some of the most popular solo shows of the last decade, including Ai Weiwei’s Raiz, the largest exhibition ever staged by the artist in Brazil in 2018, and most recently, Weiwei’s exhibition Rapture, which continues in Portugal until November 2021. Among Dantas’ most innovative projects as a creative director is NAVE, an immersive experience comprised of a 5,000-square-meter video projection, one of the main attractions of ‘Rock in Rio’ in 2019.




“SFER IK is a completely unique experience. A space with no flat floors, walls or ceiling, integrated with the surrounding jungle and in dialogue with its Mayan ancestry, it offers an interesting creative challenge for curators, contemporary artists and museographers by breaking with the sterilized tradition of the white cube. My vision is to invite artists who will feel inspired to create work in this very special context,” said Dantas.

SFER IK is an interdisciplinary arts center located in the ancient Mayan village of Uh May, half an hour from Tulum, Mexico. An example of biomorphic architecture, SFER IK was built to incorporate the nature that surrounds it, seamlessly weaving in native trees, vines and natural wildlife, constructed solely out of three locally-sourced sustainable materials – vines, ceramic and fiberglass. The museum was constructed in less than nine months but paused most exhibition planning almost immediately after its foundation in late 2019 due to the international outbreak of COVID-19. Under Dantas, SFER IK will relaunch in November 2021 to debut immersive installations by internationally renowned artists, innovative events and performances, as well as wider developments across the artistic hub.

Espousing a new model for community engagement with both art and nature, SFER IK is situated within a sprawling 10-acre creative complex known as AZULIK UH MAY, ‘The City of Arts’ distinct from the famous AZULIK hotel and standalone project space for SFER IK in Tulum. The AZULIK community in Uh May, around which SFER IK Museion is situated, encompasses local artisan workshops, known as HIVES, that surround the museum and include macramé, ceramics, textile and fashion, wood working, a media production company, architecture studios and much more – all of which supply the museum, restaurant and hotel with practical and decorative objects, from tie-dyed napkins to ceramic plates and handmade wooden tables. A living organism itself, with the local community its beating heart, AZULIK UH MAY has grown into a self-sufficient site, expanding at a rapid pace with new developments erected on almost a monthly basis, with further workshop spaces and a new sound studio soon to launch.

“Marcello is a creative genius, an innovator, and a disruptor. He will guide us to reinterpret the artistic expression of a harmonious world where humans are part of a much wider and significant system: the natural one,” said Roth.