FUNDACIÓN KAHLO UNVEILS PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVE TO REPATRIATE FRIDA KAHLO MASTERWORKS, BRINGING THEM BACK INTO PUBLIC VIEW AT MUSEO CASA KAHLO
Contact:
Briana Sanchez / Sam Corbett
DKC/O&M
briana@omdkc.com / sam@omdkc.com
+ 1 212 695 7400
FOR RELEASE ON Tuesday, December 9, 2025
FUNDACIÓN KAHLO
UNVEILS INITIATIVE ALLOWING
PHILANTHROPIC COLLECTORS TO REPATRIATE
FRIDA KAHLO MASTERWORKS
BRINGING THEM BACK INTO PUBLIC VIEW
AT MUSEO CASA KAHLO
GROUNDBREAKING DIGITAL TWIN ART PLATFORM
SECURES PROVENANCE WHILE PROVIDING CULTURAL RECOGNITION, OWNERSHIP PRIVILEGES, AND EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL RIGHTS TO BENEFACTORS
New York, NY (December 9, 2025) — Fundación Kahlo today announced a strategic partnership with LMNL designed to repatriate and make available major works by Frida Kahlo and return them to public view on display at Museo Casa Kahlo. The collaboration creates a new, legally compliant pathway for significant Kahlo works, held inside or outside of Mexico, to be responsibly acquired, transferred, and exhibited for public benefit.
The move addresses a lesser-known legal reality: paintings by Frida Kahlo that are currently located within Mexico cannot legally be exported, as they are considered national cultural patrimony under Mexican federal law. As a result, international collectors have historically been unable to acquire Kahlo works held inside Mexico, limiting both global access and cultural stewardship. This new initiative offers a transparent mechanism for works to change hands without leaving Mexico.
To facilitate these acquisitions, Fundación Kahlo has partnered with LMNL, a high-fidelity Digital Twin artwork platform that leverages blockchain technology to create the Digital Twin – not as a collectible novelty, but as a transparent, verifiable certificate linked to a single physical artwork. When the Digital Twin is purchased, the transaction legally activates the acquisition and donation of the physical artwork to Fundación Kahlo. The Foundation then places the painting on public view, while the Digital Twin holder receives cultural patronage and legacy naming, a legitimate tax deduction at full value, private viewing privileges at the museum, exclusive digital rights and metaverse display, and a curated dedication ceremony followed by a private dinner with artist heirs.
The twin does not replace the artwork; it documents its rightful custody, philanthropic transfer and importantly, the provenance. In the case of the Frida Kahlo artworks both inside and outside of Mexico, provenance has often been extremely opaque.
“This initiative ensures that masterworks that have been hidden in private vaults or scattered around the world can be seen again, studied again, and loved again — and, in the case of Museo Casa Kahlo, come home,” said Rick Miramontez, Chairman, Fundación Kahlo.
“We are witnessing a moment where Frida Kahlo’s vision has captured the world with unprecedented force. She continues to live in the zeitgeist, as the Sotheby’s auction record attests. As her foundation, we are dedicated to taking a philanthropic and social impact stance. It’s clear that Frida would want everyone to be able to see her spirit made visible. We look forward to bringing her art back into the heart of her family.”
Fundación Kahlo has identified nine important works currently for sale that it is actively seeking to acquire through this new partnership. Seven of these works are inside Mexico and subject to their patrimony law, while two are outside of Mexico and eligible for formal repatriation. Through this initiative, international art patrons can underwrite acquisition, ensure preservation, and take part in their permanent exhibition in Mexico.
“It is a reality of the art world, due to the increasing difficulties around protecting and insuring privately owned artworks, that many masterpieces are locked in vaults rather than being shown on the walls of museums where they belong. Additionally, provenance in the art world is often difficult to verify with the value of art driving a vibrant trade in forgeries. LMNL solves both problems by deploying our Digital Twin – delivering a win-win for art lovers, museums, owners of art and philanthropists. It’s a great honor to partner with Fundación Kahlo, supporting them to repatriate and make accessible Frida’s artworks at Museo Casa Kahlo,” said the LMNL team.
ABOUT FUNDACIÓN KAHLO
Fundación Kahlo, created with Frida Kahlo’s family, is dedicated to safeguarding Mexican, Indigenous, and Latin American art globally. The organization supported the development of Museo Casa Kahlo in Mexico City and supports preservation, exhibitions, education, and cultural research rooted in Kahlo’s legacy.
ABOUT LMNL
LMNL enables philanthropic acquisition and public return of museum-caliber artworks through secure Digital Twin technology, ensuring transparency, provenance, and enduring cultural impact. In addition to works by Frida Kahlo, LMNL’s inaugural offerings include works by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Rothko.
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