Bailongo

How did this place come about and what made it different from the start?
A group of friends with different interests and professions got together, but with the same love for coffee, sweets, graphics, and music, and I think that’s what made it different from the start.

What part of the day, space, or creative process do those who work here enjoy the most?
Personally, I like opening up, getting everything organized, turning on the coffee machine, and choosing the playlist we’ll start the day with.

If someone is coming in for the first time, what should they not miss?
Asking about the dessert of the day, because it changes and it’s delicious; and taking a dive into the shop area because what’s on display is always changing. Both our gallery exhibition and our selection of prints and comics feature some of our favorite graphic talents from across the country. 

What has been an interesting challenge that has made you rethink something about the project?
Managing events, collaborations, exhibitions, music sessions, as well as the curatorship needed to keep the space alive, requires a much greater investment of time and energy than we imagined, and it forced us to understand that the project isn’t just a physical place but a living community where bonds are formed. 

What influence, idea, or reference continues to shape the way you work today?
Colleagues we admire as people and for their proposals, such as Ricos Jugos, Buena vibra Forever, Nimia, and old-school shops like Vértigo and Kong.

What place, project, or person has inspired you recently and why?
We’re very inspired by people in our community with honest and exciting projects, like the publishing collective Hechiza, which came to Bailongo and never left. Natalia organizes drawing breakfasts once a month, and in just one year she’s built a large community that gathers to eat breakfast and draw.

If your space could invite someone to collaborate for a day, who would it be and what would you do together?
We actually have collaborations all month long! In graphics, in the kitchen, and even musical sessions. But we’d love to do a collab with Cuarentena Baking. We love them. 

Is there an object, corner or detail of the place that has a story that few people know?
Sometimes the landlord takes his Mexican white dogs up to the rooftop, and if you sit at the outdoor tables and look up, you feel like you’re in The Silence of the Lambs. 

If this project were a city, a book, or a record, which would it be and why?
We’d be Peanuts by Charles Schulz, because we’re sweet but classic, and life keeps pulling the ball away from us.

Answers by Diana Morales S., curator of Bailongo