The museum devoted to the life and work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has expanded into the previous residence of her sister, the place exhibitions designed by Rockwell Group provide glimpses into the artist’s non-public life.
The residence in Mexico Metropolis often called Casa Roja has been reworked right into a museum by architect Mariana Doet Zepeda Orozco, with expertise and exhibit design by Rockwell Group, and graphic design and artistic path by Pentagram and Ileen Gallagher.
Now named Museo Casa Kahlo, the house is operated by Fundación Kahlo and accommodates an array of non-public artifacts — handwritten letters, pictures, clothes and extra — that “inform the untold story of Frida’s day-to-day life”.
“The home tells the beforehand untold story of Frida as a daughter, sister, aunt, and good friend, exterior of the confines of her life as a companion to Diego Rivera,” stated Rockwell Group.
Casa Roja was initially bought by Kahlo’s mother and father, earlier than the artist purchased the house for her sister and her household as an simply accessible retreat near her own residence, Casa Azul.
The red-painted constructing was handed down by means of generations till it was entrusted to Frida’s grandniece Mara Romeo, who resided there till 2023.
This was additionally the house by which Frida and her sister arrange La Ayuda, a non-profit organisation created to assist single moms.
Aiming to color an image of the artist’s non-public life, relationships and early inspirations, Rockwell Group designed the exhibitions within the residence’s courtyard and basement.
“Our scope contains the customer arrival expertise, the entry backyard and the basement house — a recreation of the room that served as Frida’s hidden studio — by no means seen by the general public,” stated the studio.
“Stuffed with Frida’s numerous collections, ephemera, and paints, it is an evocative point of interest of the museum.”
Guests enter the museum from the road, the place the previous driveway is transformed right into a hallway with a ticketing desk fabricated by artisans in Guadalajara and historic pictures that line the partitions.
The courtyard past was restored based mostly on household photographs, which included rebuilding a curved nook stair that was beforehand misplaced.
Frida Kahlo’s possessions showcased on the V&A alongside fragments of her residence
Ceramics sourced from throughout Mexico are used as planters, whereas a hand-carved Cantera Stone pot holds a grapefruit tree that is the topic of Frida’s mural within the residence’s kitchen.
A collection of galleries and restored rooms – together with the darkroom of her father, Guillermo – result in a set of stairs that descend into the basement the place the artist’s “hidden retreat” has been recreated.
“Right here, Frida was free to jot down, paint, suppose, and sketch in a protected and intimate setting,” stated Rockwell Group. “Friends will really feel [her] spirit and her artistic power.”
The candlelit room contains private objects like dolls and a bug assortment, furnishings and textiles, and her desk, paints and work.
The LAB at Rockwell Group produced an interactive reproduction of her microscope that enables guests to watch the identical specimens as Frida studied.
Kahlo, who died in 1954, is considered one of Mexico’s most celebrated artists and her work has impressed numerous contemporaries.
A portion of Casa Azul was recreated for an exhibition at London’s V&A museum, titled Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up, in 2018.
The images is by Rafael Gamo, until said in any other case.
Venture credit:
Inventive director: Ileen Gallagher, Fundación KahloBranding and exhibition graphics: PentagramChief curator: Adriana MirandaArchitect: Mariana Doet Zepeda Orozco
