Your Compass in Mexico City 2026

Mexico City is a vast and dynamic capital of approximately 23 million residents, characterised by dense social networks and a constant flow of activity. Despite its urban challenges, the city remains one of the world’s most vibrant cultural centres.

Its contemporary art ecosystem flourishes by engaging with the city’s layered history, cultural complexity, and everyday vitality, generating practices that are both innovative and internationally relevant. Art Week plays a central role in this landscape, anchored by ZsONA MACO, which marks its 22nd edition in 2026 and continues to attract collectors and curators from around the globe. Feria Material Vol. 12, Salón Acme No. 13, and Unique Design X further animate the city’s artistic calendar, reinforcing Mexico City’s position as a key site for experimentation and discovery.

The guide’s Editorial Committee—Carolina Alvarez-Mathies (LagoAlgo, OMR), Laura Cortés Hesselbach (SOMA), and José Kuri (kurimanzutto)—has selected a range of venues essential to understanding the local contemporary art scene. The area guides below highlight many of these spaces, alongside additional relevant destinations. This publication serves as a practical reference for navigating the city’s artistic offerings, whether during the fairs or through independent exploration.

Downtown / Centro Histórico
Centro Histórico reveals Mexico City’s deep historical foundations through a concentration of major cultural institutions. Museo Ex Teresa Arte Actual occupies a former baroque convent and is dedicated to performance, sound, and conceptual practices. Nearby, the Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) presents an extensive survey of Mexican art from the colonial period to the early modern era, housed in a landmark building.
Overlooking Alameda Central, the Palacio de Bellas Artes is distinguished by its Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture, as well as its murals by Diego Rivera and other iconic artists. On the opposite side of the park, the Franz Mayer Museum promotes innovation and design within a unique 16th-century structure, currently showcasing the exhibition Pierre and Gilles: The Construction of the Symbol. A few blocks away, the Centro de la Imagen is a key institution for photography, showcasing work by both established and emerging artists; at present, visitors can explore Elsa Medina: Reminiscencias, among other exhibitions.

Roma – Condesa
Roma and Condesa are among the city’s most active cultural neighbourhoods, where tree-lined streets host a dense mix of galleries, cafés, shops, and restaurants. The area offers an ideal context for exploring Mexico City’s contemporary gallery scene.
Key spaces include OMR, a pioneering contemporary art gallery in Mexico, currently presenting the exhibitions Leonora Carrington: Ethiops and Marcel Dzama: I Am The Sun, I Am The New Year.
In the same area, Galería Mascota, which focuses on emerging international artists, presents Loup Sarion: Midnight, Sea of Time. Nearby, Arróniz and Travesía Cuatro showcase El Aire, Hoy by Tania Pérez Córdova, while the independent project N.A.S.A.L. presents various exhibitions, including Raura Oblitas’ Brillo Solar. In the adjacent Condesa neighbourhood, Galería Pepe and the Mexico City outpost of König Galerie further contribute to the area’s vibrant artistic landscape, respectively presenting Paisaje and I’m Just Here for the Pool by Amir Fattal. Wandering around, visitors can also find Maia Contemporary, currently presenting Axolotl Creation by Sabino Guisu as its final exhibition before transitioning into a non-commercial initiative.

Juárez – Cuauhtémoc
West of the historic centre, the neighbourhoods of Juárez and Cuauhtémoc combine architectural heritage with some of Mexico City’s most progressive contemporary art spaces. During Art Week, Juárez becomes a focal point for art, including Salón Acme No. 13, which occupies a historic mansion and presents curated projects by Mexican and international artists.
The area hosts a strong roster of galleries such as Lodos, presenting Adriana Lara’s Red Social Halal, reflecting on the tradition of painting. AGO Projects, focusing on design, displays new works by Lanza Atelier. Furthermore, Karen Huber showcases Goodbye Ebony Horse, Ian Grose’s first solo show at the gallery, while Proyectos Multipropósito presents Manuel Pidal’s On the Chameleonic and Other Beasts. Nearby, House of Gaga is a key space for conceptual and research-driven practices; here, the pop-up Café Gaga and the exhibition The Ritz by Cosima von Bonin are animated by a busy programme of events.
Finally, General Expenses, one of the city’s most dynamic younger galleries, offers a contemporary counterpoint to the district’s historic setting, currently presenting Carolina Pimenta: Máquina Afectiva.

In Cuauhtémoc, Feria Material Vol. 12 takes place for the first time at Maravilla Studios in the Atlampa neighbourhood, bringing together 78 exhibitors from 21 countries with a strong focus on contemporary art and Latin American voices. In this area discover Unique Design X, an immersive, curated new model of a fair dedicated to promoting collectible design, objects by artists, fashion, and skate culture.

Also in Cuauhtémoc, Mariane Ibrahim’s Mexico City outpost occupies a carefully restored historic residence and presents A Trace Beyond the Life of the Body by American artist Carmen Neely. Llano, located nearby, further expands the area’s curatorial landscape with its focused programme.

San Rafael – Santa María la Ribera
San Rafael and Santa María la Ribera host artist studios, museums, and galleries. In San Rafael, Museo Experimental El Eco presents architecture-responsive shows alongside events and performances. Galería Hilario Galguera, housed in a Porfirian mansion, connects local and global art, joined by the experimental space Plomo. Santa María la Ribera’s Museo Universitario del Chopo, in a German Jugendstil building, programmes Mexican and international contemporary works.
Casa Wabi Sabino in Atlampa provides a calm display of Cristina Umaña’s Coffee Table on the main floor and María Naidich’s Specular Crystallization on the terrace. In addition, Bosco Sodi Studio presents its annual exhibition titled Sisyphus. The area is also home to Lolita Pank, a platform that connects, promotes, and showcases the work of women artists, the LGBTQ+ community, and other gender and sexual diversities.

Chapultepec – San Miguel Chapultepec
Around Chapultepec Park lie prominent art sites. Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo displays Rufino Tamayo’s collection alongside global contemporary shows. For this Art Week, the museum presents The Gesture and the Invisible and the duo exhibition by Laura Anderson Barbata and Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe, Wayamou: Common Tongues.
The Museo de Arte Moderno (MAM) examines modern Mexican art through in-depth exhibitions. Nearby, Casa del Lago blends experimental art, theatre, and performance; currently, visitors can explore Latin American imaginaries that navigate between the spiritual and the poetic in El cantar del caos-mundo. LagoAlgo combines exhibitions with lakeside dining and is managed by OMR; this year it presents Rafael Esparza’s Juntxs alongside Chapter VIII, Hallucinations, merging the convergent practices of Trevor Paglen and Troika. The Museo Nacional de Antropología offers an essential pre-Hispanic context that continues to influence today’s artists.
In San Miguel Chapultepec, SOMA remains a key platform, founded in 2009 by a group of artists united to create a unique space dedicated to cultural exchange and the teaching of the arts. The area is also home to kurimanzutto, one of the city’s most important galleries, currently presenting the solo exhibition El pozo de agua by Oscar Murillo and Surface, Edge and Voids (Expanded) by Leonor Antunes.
The list of galleries to visit in this area is extensive and includes LABOR, Anonymous, Galería de Arte Mexicano (GAM), Galería Enrique Guerrero, Galería RGR, Le Laboratoire, MASA Galería, and Patricia Conde.

Polanco – Nuevo Polanco
Polanco and Nuevo Polanco combine luxury with cultural and artistic attractions. Museo Jumex in Nuevo Polanco anchors Latin American contemporary programming, and its Eno café offers seasonal meals. In February, the museum presents three monumental bronze sculptures by Lebanese artist Simone Fattal; The Tiger’s Coat, a project by independent curator Rodrigo Ortiz Monasterio in which fiction and history intertwine; and solo exhibitions by Elsa-Louise Manceaux and Gabriel de la Mora.
Polanco’s Sala de Arte Público Siqueiros (SAPS) pairs works by David Alfaro Siqueiros with innovative contemporary shows. Local galleries feature Oscar Román, LS / Galería, and Proyectos Monclova, currently presenting the exhibition Macaparana: Poéticas geométricas.

San Ángel – Coyoacán
San Ángel and Coyoacán offer colonial charm and rich cultural depth. Coyoacán’s Museo Frida Kahlo (La Casa Azul) reveals the artist’s life through her belongings, artworks, and gardens. Museo Anahuacalli, Diego Rivera’s volcanic-stone creation, pairs pre-Hispanic objects with contemporary exhibits.
On the UNAM campus, Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) delivers standout programming. At present, the installation El espacio vientre by Colombian artist Delcy Morelos welcomes visitors with an impressive immersive experience that bridges land art and minimalism. At the same venue, Marta Palau’s notebooks and correspondence bring to life the exhibition My Paths Are Earthly. In San Ángel, Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil spotlights evolving contemporary and modern artists. Currently, the display Nadie creerá el incendio si el humo no da señales. Archivo vivo de cuerpos en protesta y disputas simbólicas en Latinoamérica explores the history of social protest across various Latin American countries. In the area, visitors should not miss La Quiñonera, a cultural centre that has sustained experimental and community projects since 1986.