A new museum dedicated to the life and art of Frida Kahlo will open in Mexico City’s historic Coyoacán district this September.
The space is set in the Casa Roja, a private residence purchased by Kahlo’s parents and passed down through the family over generations. The Rockwell Group has turned the house into an art institution after the New York–based architecture firm was gifted the place by the artist’s grandniece, Mara Romeo Kahlo, whom the Kahlo family said was the artist’s closest living relative and heir.
“This is a dream long held by our family,” said Mara Romeo Kahlo in a statement. “Frida’s legacy belongs to the world, but it begins here—on this land, in these homes and in the culture that shaped her. Museo Casa Kahlo will allow us to tell new stories, share family secrets, host new voices and build a future that honours her spirit.”
The museum will exhibit personal items that have never been shown before, including letters, childhood photographs, a piece of embroidery Kahlo made at the age of five, dolls, jewellery, clothing and the first oil painting she ever created.
The space stands adjacent to another important space central to Kahlo’s legacy: Casa Azul, the home where Frida Kahlo was born, raised and lived with her painter husband Diego Rivera, as well as the site where she died.
Casa Azul was built by her father, Guillermo, and will continue to be part of the museum, which is managed by the Fideicomiso de los Museos Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo trust and administered by the central bank of Mexico. It boasts a collection of artworks by Kahlo, Rivera and other artists, along with the couple’s Mexican folk art, pre-Hispanic artefacts, photographs, memorabilia and personal ephemera.
Casa Roja, by contrast, will explore Kahlo’s beginnings, spotlighting influential cultural figures that she knew and surveying her inspirations. The museum will also include exhibitions and rotating shows of contemporary art, with a focus on Mexican, Latin American and women artists.
Adán García Fajardo was recently appointed to be the museum director. He currently serves as the academic director at the Museum of Memory and Tolerance in Mexico City.
Funding for the museum was made possible by the newly established nonprofit Fundación Kahlo, which was started by the Kahlo family to preserve the artist’s legacy and continue her efforts by promoting Mexican, Indigenous, and Latin American art and culture. The New York–based foundation will support the museum and related public initiatives, including the biennial Kahlo Art Prize and a grant program.
(With inputs from multiple news reports)