The Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo House-Studio is one of those places in Mexico City that you simply can’t miss. Whether for its history or its functionalist architecture, designed by the great Juan O’Gorman, this place simply inspires and encourages creativity.
That creativity that inspired Birot Lightning to open “The Light That Dwells”, a light installation that envelops the artists’ studios and Casa O’Gorman. As part of the presentation of this collaboration, a Night Tour with free admission will take place from October 5 through 9 and on Sunday, October 11. “This nighttime program expands the opportunities to experience one of the country’s most iconic architectural complexes. The tours and activities will allow visitors to discover Juan O’Gorman’s work from new perspectives and reinforce the museum’s role as a living space, open to experimentation and dialogue,” said Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Secretary of Culture for the Government of Mexico.
This project , led by Pablo Álvarez, project director at Birot Lighting, is part of the curatorial program “Architectural Interventions” at the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo House-Studio Museum, launched in 2025, which seeks to generate new artistic proposals that engage with the space from a contemporary perspective. This year, projects by Diego Vega, Valentina Díaz, and Tino Sehgal in collaboration with TONO were presented, offering new experiences centered on the venue’s architecture.
The Light That Dwells: A New Approach by Juan O’Gorman
Through light and materiality, *La luz que habita* seeks to engage with architecture rather than transform it; instead, it aims to activate a latent dimension within it and offer a new perspective for experiencing the home during the magic of the night.
Birot Lighting’s lighting design conceives the studio homes through the lens of those who once lived there. The technical design was crafted to respect the building’s functionalist style and to blend into the background during the day, so that the lighting only transforms the perception of the space at night.
“We approached the Casa Estudio with the utmost respect for its functionalist style. The technical design was conceived to reconfigure the perception of space at night, while disappearing completely during the day. It is a dialogue between contemporary technology and the heritage of 1931,” explains Pablo Álvarez.
Check Out the Itinerary
For six nights—from October 5 through 9 and on Sunday, October 11—from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the Night Tour will be offered free of charge, allowing visitors to explore the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo House-Studio Museum at night and admire its illuminated architecture.
Later , in November 2026, the public will be able to visit the Casa Estudio on the second Wednesday of each month, during extended hours, to participate in various activities and experience *La luz que habita*. This piece continues the conversation that began in 1931 about form and function. Birot Lighting’s installation reveals, through light, its geometries, transparencies, and spaces without altering its essence.
A Year of Celebrations
“The Light That Dwells ” is part of the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo House-Museum and the 80th anniversary of INBAL, reinforcing the venue’s mission as a house-museum: a space to connect with its inhabitants through the traces of their presence, while promoting new ways to experience, understand, and preserve this artistic and architectural heritage.
The Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo House and Studio is located at Altavista and Diego Rivera (no number), San Ángel Inn, Álvaro Obregón, in Mexico City.
