Mexico City is having a moment. The second largest city in Latin America, rich in history and tradition, perpetually hosts new sets of restaurants, bars, shops, faces and, of course, fairs and galleries. Zona Maco, the city’s annual art fair, recorded a record attendance this year, with 81,000 visitors and 200 exhibitors. Mexico City ranked among the best and most livable cities in the world for expats in 2024 in the lists of Forbes, time outand countless more.
The growing number of artist residencies in the Mexican capital at galleries such as JO-HS and Fundación Casa Wabi have made it a magnet for artists. “There is no other city like Mexico City in the Americas that brings together the ancient, the cultural and the contemporary,” Chicago gallerist Mariane Ibrahim said in a statement when she opened her Mexico City outpost in 2023. “The result of this combination, of tradition and modernity, offers all the ingredients an artist needs, a platform for creativity”.
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of Mexico City for art-loving visitors. Taking advice from gallerists, we’ve put together a curated selection of galleries, museums, homes and places you shouldn’t miss.
Mexico City’s gallery scene thrives on the interplay between established venues and experimental spaces. This juxtaposition produces a flurry of avant-garde exhibitions and world-renowned art.
“Mexico City’s art world has always been born of a collaborative and experimental energy drawn from the country’s rich cultural history,” Taylor Fisch, kurimanzutto archivist, said in an interview. “It thrives when people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines come together to consider that history while redefining what it means to create art in Mexico today.”
These must-see galleries are boosting the city’s art scene:
In Rome
This neighborhood is where the action is: fun bars, lively restaurants and most of the city’s galleries.
In San Miguel Chapultepec
This residential area just below Chapultepec Park is home to just a few, but some of the best, cafes and galleries in the city.
In Polanco
This exclusive neighborhood boasts some of the city’s most luxurious shops, restaurants and showrooms.
In Condesa
This leafy, tree-lined neighborhood is popular with international crowds.
In the Reformation
This busy commercial area is anchored by Paseo da Reforma, a wide avenue that cuts diagonally through the heart of Mexico City.
As the center of art, business and culture in Latin America, Mexico City is home to some of the region’s most impressive institutions and collections. From pre-Columbian artifacts to contemporary art, there is something for everyone.
You can’t miss these museums and private collections:
- Anahuacalli Museum: Founded by Diego Rivera, the Anahuacalli Museum houses the artist’s vast collection of pre-Columbian artifacts. The building, designed by Rivera and architect Juan O’Gorman, is a work of art in itself, resembling an ancient teocalli (temple).Tamayo Museum: With its avant-garde architecture, the Tamayo Museum opened in 1981 in the exuberant Parque de Chapultepec. It was established to house the art collections of Rufino Tamayo, a renowned painter who fused European styles with Mexican folk art, and his wife, who donated her collection to the nation. Highlights include masterpieces by world-renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso and Mark Rothko.
In Mexico City, colonial-era mansions sit alongside brutalist buildings, and baroque churches share streets with modern museums and galleries. This living museum of architecture features a number of must-see buildings, including:
- Gilardi House: Luis Barragán, a renowned Mexican architect, is famous for his bold use of space, color and light. One of his final projects, Casa Gilardi, features a vibrant yellow corridor, a stunning indoor pool and serene spaces that underscore his legacy as one of the most influential architects of the 20th century.
- Child of Quetzalcoatl: A visionary project by Javier Senosiain, known for his iconic organic architecture, this surreal residential complex is inspired by the serpent deity Quetzalcóatl. It features undulating structures and psychedelic colors that blend with the surrounding nature.
- Satellite towers: This set of colorful geometric towers symbolize modernity and progress in mid-20th century Mexico. They represent a visionary collaboration between two of Mexico’s most influential architects, Luis Barragán and Mathias Goeritz.
Art aside, Mexico City’s food scene has long been a big draw. Between shows and tours, this is where the art world goes to refuel and mingle.
For drinks
- Piano: This stylish yet retro bar in Juarez is known for its casual crowd that stays late.
- The minute: Perfect for a drink or meeting, this Italian-style café-bar has a cinematic atmosphere.
- NIV: This wine and cocktail bar, which serves a small menu of favorite dishes in the Condesa, is very good.
- Ticuchi: This dimly lit bar in Polanco, serving Mexican food, is perfect for a date night or an intimate group outing.
- Palomilla Hall: Enter a sultry lounge with an open ceiling, cocktail menu and live DJs.
- Hiya Wine Bar: Seemingly straight out of Tokyo, this wine bar and restaurant is a little gem hidden behind the kitchen of popular sushi spot Yoru.
