Two Stops: O’Gorman’s House and the UNAM Library

We visited the O’Higgins–Rivera workshop, where the Day of the Dead ofrendas were set up throughout the house—each dedicated to the three artists who lived and worked there. The place still looks like a working space, and seeing how Pablo O’Higgins and Diego Rivera shared that environment adds to the history of the building. 

The place still looks like a working space, and seeing how Pablo O’Higgins and Diego Rivera shared that environment added to the history of the building. 

O’Higgins’ home and studio were built in a stripped-down, utilitarian style that reflected both his politics and his practical personality. He used just simple forms, exposed materials, and a layout meant for work, collaboration, and daily life. It followed the same spirit as the early functionalist movement in Mexico: architecture as a tool, not a luxury. The house was meant to serve artists and activists who came through its doors, not to impress anyone from the street.

After that, we headed to the UNAM campus, stopped to see Rivera’s mural on the Central Library, and happened to catch a graduation ceremony spilling out across the walkways. 

Rivera painted an important mural right next door in the Rectoria building, where he depicted Mexico’s struggle for freedom and culture. 

The Central Library at UNAM is covered in huge mosaic murals by Juan O’Gorman, done very much in the spirit of Diego Rivera. Each side of the building tells a different chapter of Mexican history — pre-Hispanic life, the colonial period, modern Mexico, and the story of the university itself. Rivera didn’t create these mosaics, but his influence is all over them: the focus on Indigenous culture, a look at colonization, and the celebration of workers, science, and education. 

Together, the murals on the library and Rectoria form one of the strongest public-art statements in the country.

We made our way from the library to MUAC through the theatre district. The museum itself was excellent. The standout was a “womb” installation built from compacted earth it was quiet, dim, and very  immersive, it was like stepping into a geological exhibit.

 

Tamyao Art Museum and the Contemporary Art Museum

I will do a few posts to catch up. Kerry and I spent time in Chapultepec Park visiting the Tamayo Museum and the Contemporary Art Museum. The Tamayo focuses on modern and contemporary works, many from international artists, housed in a simple but striking concrete building surrounded by trees. 

The Contemporary Art Museum, right next door, features major Mexican artists like Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Rufino Tamayo himself, along with rotating exhibits that tie Mexico’s past to its modern identity. Both museums are manageable in size and thoughtfully curated — a quiet, reflective contrast to the bustle of the park outside.

Tim Burton’s Labyrinth

We took the Metro and then the gondola up into Chapultepec to see the Tim Burton Exhibit – “El Laberinto”.  Unfortunately, we arrived at the gondola right when school was letting out, so we had about 20 minutes to wait — I had plenty of time to contemplate the upcoming “No Kings” protest happening across the country on October 18th. But I digress.

Once we got to the top, we were greeted by a massive sculpted mouth — Burton’s signature entrance — A similar surreal, slightly creepy gateway that we saw at his exhibit back in 2017 when we were living here. (You can look back in the blog for that post.) Walking through that giant grin felt like stepping right into his imagination. 

Inside, the labyrinth twists through a series of dark, dreamlike rooms filled with giant figures from Burton’s world — Edward Scissorhands, Jack Skellington, Beetlejuice, and more of his strange, beautiful creations. Each room had multiple doorways, so you had to choose your path — and depending on your choices, you could easily miss entire rooms and characters. The immersive part was the music, it was a little louder than you expected and kept you in the mood of the rooms. 

   

We went with the VIP pass, which turned out to be worth it. It wasn’t much more expensive, and it allowed us to go through the labyrinth a second time. With a little strategy (and some memory of which doors not to pick), we managed to see two or three more rooms we missed the first time around. Still not sure we saw everything. 

  

 

Stay safe out there tomorrow

 

 

 

After finishing our second loop, we stopped at the gift shop where we received two posters with our tickets — future artwork for the apartment. Then it was back down the gondola, onto the subway, and home again.