My Art Guides Studio Visits: Mexico City

My Art Guides Studio Visits opens the doors to some of the most important artists working and living in the city during Art Week. Navigate your way around the sprawling city and its artistic pulse via this off the grid itinerary, which offers a rare and truly privileged insight into the practice and creative sanctuaries of some of the city's most renowned and emerging artists during Art Week.

Curated by Lara Morrell

On Monday, February 3rd, to kick off Zona Maco Art Week, Studio Bosco Sodi and Casa Wabi open their new exhibitions. Located in Colonia Atlampa, the building, designed by Alberto Kalach, was previously a warehouse and now showcases Sodi’s artworks, including paintings made from sawdust and pigment, as well as clay spheres. Sodi (born in Mexico, 1970) also founded Casa Wabi a decade ago on Oaxaca’s Pacific coastline. Casa Wabi has since attracted a vibrant community of creatives and continues to do so here in Mexico City. As with the studio, the space opens its doors at noon. If you miss the opening, you can schedule a visit for the rest of the week through the website.

Located in Roma Norte, Perla Krauze (Mexico, 1953) opens her studio for breakfast on both Tuesday, February 4th, and Wednesday, February 5th. On each day, she invites guests to enjoy coffee, with Tuesday’s gathering followed by a visit to the nearby Olivia Foundation, and Wednesday’s followed by the VIP day at Zona Maco. Krauze’s studio is filled with volcanic rocks, pink Puebla marble, stone rubbings, and collected branches. Her work explores the dualities between the ephemeral and the permanent, creating routes or mappings by collecting images and objects that are integrated into her pieces. These elements leave imprints or traces of time and memory, always evoking a specific place.

An essential stop is Casa Estudio Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo, located in Mexico City’s San Ángel neighbourhood and designed by architect Juan O’Gorman in 1931. The two functionalist-style houses, connected by a bridge, served as both living and studio spaces for the artists Diego Rivera (1886–1957) and Frida Kahlo (1907–1954). Visitors can explore the preserved interiors, including Rivera’s studio, which houses his ‘Judas’ collection, and Kahlo’s bathroom, featured in her painting Lo que el agua me dio. The studios are open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and private tours can be arranged through Cristina Artigas.

Just a five-minute walk along the cobbled streets of San Ángel is Studio Lazcano, the former home of modernist architect Augusto Álvarez, and now the studio of Mexican artist Federico Cartas. Cartas (born in Mexico, 1988) blends physics, technology, and invention to create large-scale sculptures and installations. Most recently, he exhibits works on paper at Heart Ego in Monterrey, which are the byproducts of his kinetic interventions. The series Tinta Viva shares similarities with the Italian Arte Povera movement, including artists like Jannis Kounellis and Mario Merz. Cartas combines ink with unexpected materials such as volcanic lava dust from Etna and explosive powder. The explosion process results in beautifully textured works on paper that, when viewed up close, evoke the vastness of galaxies. Visits to the studio are by appointment only. And after your visit, don’t forget to stop by San Ángel Inn for a margarita.

On Thursday, February 6th, Salón ACME opens in Juárez, and Unión (Espacio para Artistas)—an independent, artist-run space and residency dedicated to artists and curators—presents a solo booth by Mexican artist Elisa Malo. In addition to her participation at Salón ACME, Elisa Malo (born in Mexico, 1989) opens her studio in Escandon by appointment throughout the week, offering a chance to witness her research in the oneiric space. In her latest series, Tintas Arcanas, Elisa uses drawing to reinterpret archetypal images and elements of collective memory. Working with ink and large amounts of water on Xuan paper, she captures these visions in a way that reflects their fleeting nature and the elusive act of trying to hold onto them—much like grasping a dream.

Located in the nearby neighborhood of San Miguel Chapultepec is the studio of artist and designer Brian Thoreen (US, 1979). Born in California in 1979, Thoreen grew up immersed in construction, metal fabrication, and art installation, experiences that shaped his unique and intimate understanding of space and material interactions. Now working between Mexico City and Paris, his practice navigates the delicate balance between simplicity and sophistication, discourse and form, and materiality and evocative power. Rubber, wax, paper, silicone, hammered copper, brass, and bronze—Thoreen questions the integrity of each material he works with, bending them to serve his bold vision. After visiting his studio, consider making an appointment at Casa Gilardi, one of the iconic Luis Barragán houses, which also hosts art exhibitions. For a relaxing finish, we recommend stopping by the popular Marigold for a glass of wine and a delicious Indian/Mexican lunch.

Our final recommendation is EWE, a design studio that focuses on researching, experimenting with, and honoring Mexico’s rich artisanal history, techniques, and materials. EWE will be open throughout the week by appointment, which can be arranged here. The studio creates narrative-driven pieces that aim to unearth untold stories and explore new languages and material expressions, transforming them into contemporary design objects. Founded in 2017 by gallerist Age Salajõe and designers Manuel Bañó and Héctor Esrawe, EWE Studio will have the founders in and out of the studio throughout the week.

To arrange a visit:

Studio Bosco Sodi – RSVP here

Studio Perla Krauze – info@stephaniefrederickx.com

Casa Estudio Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo – crisartigas@gmail.com

Studio Federico Cartas – fedecartasfenix@gmail.com

Studio Elisa Malo – info.espaciounion@gmail.com

Studio Brian Thoreen – studio@brianthoreen.com

EWE Studio: Please make an appointment here