Latest news with #FridaKahlo
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
A brand-new Frida Kahlo museum is coming to Mexico City
Mexico City is already the ultimate pilgrimage destination for fans of Frida Kahlo's raw, thought-provoking and world-famous paintings, but a brand-new venue dedicated to this legendary artist is set to open in the city in the autumn. Casa Roja, which is scheduled to open on September 27, will house the brand-new Museo Casa Kahlo, located in the Mexican capital's Coyoacán area, not too far from Casa Azul. While the latter is Kahlo's birthplace and opened as a museum way back in 1958 through a trust established by her husband and artist Diego Rivera, Museo Casa Kahlo is the first institution to be run by descendants of the iconic Mexican painter. The property used to belong to her parents and then to her younger sister, Cristina. It has remained in the family for decades, and Kahlo's grandniece, Mara Romeo Kahlo, has allowed researchers and public figures such as Salma Hayek into the house's archive. This is the first time it will open as a public museum. So, what can we expect? Well, Museo Casa Kahlo will incorporate Kahlo's dolls, clothing, jewellery, personal letters, photographs and lots of other objects and documents to provide visitors with an up-close and personal insight into the artists' childhood. The photography of Kahlo's father, Guillermo, will also be on display, and the museum will include space for rotating exhibitions showcasing artwork by Mexican, Latin American and women artists. Adán García Fajardo, the Museum of Memory and Tolerance's current academic director, will lead Museo Casa Kahlo and it will be overseen by the newly-founded Fundación Kahlo, a New York-based non-profit. 'This is a dream long held by our family,' Mara Romeo Kahlo said in a statement, according to The Art Newspaper. 'Frida's legacy belongs to the world, but it begins here – on this land, in these homes and in the culture that shaped her.' Elsewhere in Coyoacán, you'll find street murals and life-size bronze statues of Frida Kahlo, so make sure you venture past some of those on your way to the museums. Oh, and have a look at the very best things to do in Mexico City.
Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The scandal of the missing Frida Kahlo masterpieces
As a mariachi band played and a crowd of models clutched their cocktails around the swimming pool of a Miami mansion, a Bitcoin investor called Martin Mobarak took a Frida Kahlo from its frame, pinned it to the top of a cocktail glass and set fire to it, smiling broadly as the $10 million drawing was reduced to embers. 'I had to do something drastic to get attention,' Mobarak would later say of the stunt to create 10,000 digital artworks known as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) from the destruction of a real one. Mexican officials protested, but Kahlo would have approved, Mobarak insisted in 2022. 'I would bet my life that if I asked to burn a small piece of her diary to bring some smiles and better quality of life to children, then she would say: 'Go ahead and do it. I'll light the fire.'' Perhaps, but Mobarak's stunt represented more than just the burning of a piece of irreplaceable art for fun. It also shed light on how many of Kahlo's most personal works, which were supposed to be safeguarded in her home in Mexico City, had been allowed to emerge onto the art market. Her diary, written during the last ten years of her turbulent life, contains poems and drawings reflecting on her relationship with her husband, Diego Rivera, a celebrated artist in his own right. In the three years between his wife's death and his own demise, Rivera obsessively catalogued the contents of La Casa Azul, the cobalt blue house on a shady street corner of Mexico City that he shared with Kahlo. For admirers of one of the world's most popular, and saleable, artists, La Casa Azul is a place of pilgrimage. It is where Kahlo was born, where she grew up, where she lived with Rivera, and where she died in a room on the upper floor in 1954. Before his death, Rivera demanded that its contents, along with the entire estate, should be donated to the people of Mexico and protected by a trust which, today, is administered by the country's national bank, Banco de México. Then, one day in 2009, Hilda Trujillo opened the safe where Kahlo's diary was held. The woman who directed both the Frida Kahlo Museum and the Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum between 2002 and 2020, believes that the page burnt in Miami is just one of a number which have mysteriously left the collection in recent years. In an interview with The Times she said that at least two oil paintings, eight drawings, several copies of two lithographs and 12 double-sided pages from the diary, dated to March 1953, were missing from the collection at La Casa Azul. This, she said, was discovered after she obtained three pages of a 220-page inventory compiled in 2011. She believes the remainder of the document could reveal more artworks to be missing. Trujillo accuses the trust of losing track of artworks and archival materials, including some that have surfaced in private collections and international auctions. In April she went public with a detailed account of what she describes as serious irregularities. She alleged that dozens of works once held by the museums in Mexico City have gone missing or were quietly sold without proper documentation or export permits, in possible violation of heritage laws. 'We are very proud of our culture, it is very rich and very deep,' Trufillo said. 'We as a society have fought many battles [to protect it] all our lives. Imagine the sadness for the Mexican people if we lose our patrimony.' Helga Prignitz-Poda, an art historian and the author of several books on Kahlo, told the Mexican newspaper El Universal: 'These pages are undoubtedly a great loss. The fact that Casa Azul itself has not taken better care of its own collection is a scandal.' Trujillo claims she presented Banco de México with her findings almost two-and-a-half years ago, yet said the institution dismissed the matter. She says that it could be a matter of embarrassment for the bank and Mexico's National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (Inbal). 'Their strategy is silence, their outcome is erasure,' Trujillo said, adding that the institutions are run by 'businessmen with no sensibility and civil servants who knew nothing about art'. Neither the bank nor Inbal responded to requests for comment. Among the best known works Trujillo claims are missing is the 1954 work that was known as Frida in a Landscape or Frida on Fire. It has subsequently been identified by experts as being a work listed with Mary-Anne Martin Fine Art, a gallery in Manhattan that describes itself as a 'must' for collectors of Latin American Art. Its experts have worked on landmark shows featuring Kahlo and Rivera, including roles as special advisers to exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Tate Modern in London. A work called Frida in Flames (Self-portrait inside a Sunflower) was listed with the gallery in December 2021 and had a provenance only described as 'Private Collection, Dallas'. For experts, the painting is deeply significant given that, shortly before her death, Kahlo took a knife to it, scraping away layers of paint in 'frustration' as her body failed her. Other missing paintings include 1952's Congress of People for Peace which sold for $2.66 million at Sotheby's in 2020, and the drawing American Liberty, or Sketch for an Ironic Monument to Yankee Freedom, which was listed with Mary-Anne Martin. The gallery did not respond when approached for comment. The trust, meanwhile, accuses Trujillo of holding a grudge. In a statement it said that she 'never filed a formal complaint' and added: 'On the contrary, their contract was terminated after irregularities were detected in their administration and for having benefited third parties with the assets under their care.' She denies this, claiming she repeatedly raised concerns internally, and hopes Interpol will be brought in to investigate. Inbal, meanwhile, said it had not granted any 'permits for permanent exports of these authors' works'. The works of both artists are considered national cultural heritage and are not allowed to leave the country permanently without express permission. Any suggestion that officials have allowed Kahlo's works to leave Mexico could provoke a scandal. 'With each passing minute, mistrust and uncertainty only increase,' wrote the Mexican newspaper Excélsior in an editorial, calling on President Sheinbaum to intervene if necessary. 'How is it possible that two such powerful institutions attack me instead of taking up the investigation and finding the works?' Trujillo asked. 'They want to disqualify me instead of doing their job, that's indignant.'
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Destination Scientology, Del Valle Celebrates the Cultural Heritage of Mexico
LOS ANGELES, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientology Network's DESTINATION: SCIENTOLOGY, the weekly travelogue series that takes viewers inside Scientology Churches all around the world and discovers what makes each one unique, presents an episode featuring Del Valle, Mexico City. DESTINATION: SCIENTOLOGY airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Scientology Network. ABOUT DESTINATION: SCIENTOLOGY, DEL VALLE Del Valle is a neighborhood often described as an open-air museum—a place where Mexico's rich cultural legacy lives on through indigenous sculptures, towering murals and landmarks of the nation's pre-Hispanic past. It's a cityscape that stands as a living tribute to history and the enduring spirit of its people. At the heart of the vibrant district stands the Church of Scientology Del Valle, seamlessly woven into the neighborhood's architectural fabric. This episode explores local cuisine, a visit to the famed home of artist Frida Kahlo and conversations with community members who share how the Church inspires creativity while preserving cultural traditions. As one staff member says, "I feel so proud because I know I'm helping Mexico and helping Del Valle become a better place, where we can live without worries and truly prosper." Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018, launched by David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. Since then, Scientology Network has been viewed in over 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization and presenting its Social Betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by Independent filmmakers who represent a cross section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities. Scientology Network's innovative content has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards, including Tellys, Communitas and Hermes Creative Awards. Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church's global media center in Los Angeles, Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM and AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Church of Scientology International Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man arrested after trying to abduct child waiting for school bus, Fairfax County police say
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. () — A man was arrested and charged after he tried abducting a child waiting for the school bus on Tuesday morning, police in Fairfax County said. The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) said the charges stem from an incident that happened just after 8:45 a.m. in the 3400 block of Hemlock Drive in Annandale. There, FCPD learned a child was waiting for the school bus near Wadsworth Court and Little River Turnpike when a man drove up in a black Subaru and tried to persuade the child to get in his car. Washington County Museum of Fine Arts ready to debut masterpieces from Frida Kahlo The child ran to a trusted adult near the bus stop, who took a photo of the man's car before it left the area. The child was able to get on their bus safely and reported what happened to a school official, who then notified FCPD. Patrol officers and detectives identified 45-year-old Hugo Perez Soliz as the suspect. He was arrested and charged with attempted abduction and held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Frida Kahlo photo exhibit brings rare personal images to Hagerstown
The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is set to host a major exhibition featuring personal photographs of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The exhibition, titled "Frida Kahlo: Picturing an Icon," will run from June 14 to Oct. 5, according to a community announcement. It will showcase 115 images from a collection of 450 photographs and objects acquired in 2003 by Vicente Wolf, a Cuban-born interior designer based in New York City. Wolf is believed to own the largest known collection of personal and family photographs of Kahlo in private hands. "My intention was to focus on the most iconic and emotionally resonant images — those that best capture Frida's presence, her aura and the complexity of her personal life," Wolf said in the announcement. "I was especially drawn to those that offered an intimate glimpse into her world, particularly those taken by Diego (her husband, Mexican artist Diego Rivera), which feel charged with both affection and insight. My goal was to create a portrait of Frida that goes beyond the myth — to reveal the woman, the artist and the vulnerability behind the legend." The museum has created a specially designed space for the exhibition, using a color palette taken from a photograph of Kahlo for Vogue Magazine, according to Executive Director Sarah J. Hall. All interpretive materials for the exhibition will be presented in both Spanish and English, and the museum has planned complementary activities, including Latin classical music performances, diary-making workshops and summer camps. "We want our visitors to be inspired by Frida's spirit by tapping into lived experience to make art," Hall said in the announcement. Wolf said that he hopes visitors will gain a deeper understanding of Kahlo through the exhibition. "It's one thing to see her art; it's another to see the life that fueled it," he said in the announcement. The exhibition is organized by Vicente Wolf Associates from Wolf's collection. Major funding has been provided by Nora and Bruce Wilder and the Visit Hagerstown & Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission and parking are free. For more information, go to or call 301-739-5727. This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. The Herald-Mail is growing its local news: Send your news to us This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Frida Kahlo exhibition coming to Hagerstown museum
