Mexico

When Mexico and art are mentioned in the same breath, the mind wanders to Frida Kahlo and the heart immediately beats to the rhythm of the passion radiating from her work. A closer look also overwhelms the fervour of Mexico’s world-renowned muralists Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros… and of pre-Columbian and pre-aztec murals. Architecture then, as now, was there not only as a support for this art, but also as its embodiment. We seek this interaction in a very specific selection of art-architecture. We make the most meticulous museum and gallery choices for you and pay attention to how spatiality can support and lift art. Artist studios and homes are also part of this exploration. We visit the homes that shelter and shape artists’ imaginations.

These places open a window on both the artist and the work, reminding us that what we may initially consider the timeless and universal truth of the work of art cannot be detached from the complex peculiarities of its spatial and material origin. Works of art that originate in or reflect on architecture and spatial themes are also part of the exploration. The Mexican individuality that occurs in the visits consists of several guidelines that our selection weaves together:

El muro (the wall)
The wall as an architectural element plays a role in both the muralists from a revolutionary idea to make art as public as possible, and in the artist’ studios to make just a movement ‘inward’ as in Casa Iturbide by Mauricio Rocha and Casa Pedro Reyes. At Casa Wabi, the special relationship to the wall sharpens the conflict between Japanese and Mexican culture. In other architectural works, it acts as a stage to make bodies, lights, views and sounds perceptible.

Cielo y tierra (heaven and earth)
The cosmological worldview and the worship of the celestial vault and bodies are found in pre-Aztec and pre-Columbian architecture such as in Teotihuacán, but also the relationship to heaven in contemporary architecture is striking. The frequent use of open rooms without a roof, building on the long Mexican tradition of courtyards, provide a place to look at the sky, hear the landscape, and feel the passage of time. The earth and the soil in many cases require a specific treatment because of the tectonics and the raw volcanic rocks, or the volcanic stones are used as building elements in the architecture. Attention to the use of local land when creating brick architecture or works of art is also reflected in many projects, in many cases it gives a rich grain to the whole.

Luz y colour (light and colour)
The colours of the Aztec murals form the abstract protagonist in countless poetic projects. And all that under the blue sky, el cielo azul. The deep blue of Frida Kahlo. The cutting red of Diego Riveira or Juan O’Gorman. The dazzling gold of Matthias Goeritz. The sliding sloping bright white of Felix Candela. The sun-soaked ochre by Ricardo Legoretta and the mysterious deep pink by Luis Barragan.

At the end of February 2026, various news channels reported unrest in the state of Jalisco, linked to the drug cartel surrounding El Mencho. This region is far removed from the destinations we will be visiting in this vast country. We are closely following the reports via reliable sources and are respecting the official travel advice from the FPS Foreign Affairs. Moreover, our trip is not due to take place for another ten months — a time frame in which local tensions usually stabilise. We remain vigilant, but look forward with confidence to an inspiring journey of discovery through this rich and multi-layered country.