Before the art world new her name, Frida Kahlo was a young woman living in the quaint neighborhood of Coyoacán, in the south of Mexico City. A curious child who developed an interest in art from a young age, Kahlo loved learning about the world as much as she loved spending time with her parents and sisters. Museo Casa Kahlo, a new museum honoring Kahlo’s family life, has just opened in the Mexican capital.
The new museum is located at a family home that belonged to Kahlo’s parents. Known as Casa Roja (Red House), it is only a few blocks away from the wold-famous Frida Kahlo Museum, aka La Casa Azul (The Blue House). Kahlo later purchased Casa Roja from her parents so her younger sister, Cristina, could raise her family there. It was then passed down to Mara Romeo Kahlo, Cristina’s granddaughter and Kahlo’s grand-niece, who donated it to be turned into a museum.
“The Kahlo House is not just a museum; it is home to the history of a family whose legacy to Mexico’s cultural heritage has been enormous. Over the years, this space has safeguarded memories, objects, and stories that reflect the intimate lives of its inhabitants, becoming a meeting point between private memory and collective interest,” reads the museum website. “Our mission is to share with visitors the creative force of the Kahlo family and their entourage, showing how art, everyday life, and family relationships intertwined to shape a universal legacy.”
The museum explores not only the bond between the family members, but also how their environment shaped them, offering a peek into the Mexico City of the first half of the 20th century. In addition to its alluring architecture, the house itself serves as a time capsule, allowing visitors to picture themselves as a young artist sitting in a colorful courtyard or passing time in an introspective basement, where Kahlo would spend days on end painting and writing.
Inside, domestic scenes like a kitchen with a set table coexist with letters, trinkets, toys, and photographs, and artworks by friends and collaborators, painting a larger picture of the woman behind the artist. “This house-museum was the home of the Kahlo family for four generations,” reads a statement on a museum wall. “We open its doors to the public to share a legacy that weaves past, present, and future.”
Museo Casa Kahlo is located in Aguayo 54, Colonia del Carmen. To plan a visit, you can buy tickets on the Museo Casa Kahlo website.
Museo Casa Kahlo, a new museum honoring Kahlo’s family life, has just opened in Mexico City.
The new museum is located at a family home that belonged to Kahlo’s parents.
Known as Casa Roja (Red House), it is only a few blocks away from the world-famous Frida Kahlo Museum, aka La Casa Azul.
Kahlo later purchased Casa Roja from her parents so her younger sister, Cristina, could raise her family there.
“The Kahlo House is not just a museum; it is home to the history of a family whose legacy to Mexico’s cultural heritage has been enormous,” writes Museo Casa Kahlo.
“Our mission is to share with visitors the creative force of the Kahlo family and their entourage, showing how art, everyday life, and family relationships intertwined to shape a universal legacy.”
The museum explores not only the bond between the family members, but also how their environment shaped them, offering a peek into a past Mexico City from the first half of the 20th century.
Museo Casa Kahlo is located in Aguayo 54, Colonia del Carmen. To plan a visit, you can buy tickets on the Museo Casa Kahlo website.
“This house-museum was the home of the Kahlo family for four generations. We open its doors to the public to share a legacy that weaves past, present, and future.”
