Frida Kahlo’s extraordinary life and artistic journey will soon be showcased in a brand new museum set to open this fall. The Museo Casa Kahlo will offer a unique perspective on the iconic Mexican artist, delving into her early years, family relationships, and personal belongings. This museum will complement the existing Museo Frida Kahlo, located in the Casa Azul, where Kahlo lived with her husband Diego Rivera.
The upcoming Museo Casa Kahlo will be housed in Casa Roja, which was previously the private residence of Kahlo’s sister Cristina’s descendants. Kahlo had gifted the house to her sister, who was the only sibling to have children. The decision to convert Casa Roja into a museum was made by Kahlo’s grand-niece Mara Romeo Kahlo, with the support of a new nonprofit foundation called Fundación Kahlo. This foundation aims to promote Latin American and Indigenous art through grants and monetary prizes.
Unlike Casa Azul, which is managed by the state of Mexico, Casa Roja will focus on a different aspect of Kahlo’s life and legacy. The new museum will showcase never-before-seen artifacts, including Kahlo’s first oil painting, childhood photos, and personal letters. Adán García Fajardo, the current director of Mexico City’s Museo Memoria y Tolerancia, has been appointed as the inaugural director of Museo Casa Kahlo.
The museum plans to host temporary exhibitions featuring contemporary Mexican, Latin American, and women artists, in addition to highlighting Kahlo’s early years and family connections. The opening date for Museo Casa Kahlo is set for September 27, with the first exhibitions currently in the planning stages. The museum aims to offer a fresh perspective on Kahlo’s life, inviting visitors to explore her personal world and the influences that shaped her artistry.
Visitors to Casa Azul can currently view a range of Kahlo’s personal belongings, including the intricate contraption designed by her mother to help her paint while recovering from a bus accident. The museum also features furniture collected by Kahlo and Rivera, as well as the artist’s iconic dresses and over 200 personal items. However, Casa Azul has recently faced controversy over the alleged disappearance of artworks and pages from Kahlo’s diary.
In a statement, Mara Romeo Kahlo expressed the family’s long-held dream of creating a museum to honor Frida Kahlo’s legacy. She emphasized the importance of preserving Kahlo’s cultural heritage and sharing her story with the world. Museo Casa Kahlo is poised to offer a fresh perspective on the artist’s life, inviting visitors to experience her world in a new and immersive way.
