A Collective Offering: Transforming KALLAX into a Shared Memory Space
In Mexico, homes are sanctuaries of memories. Each Day of the Dead, houses transform to welcome those who have departed: the dining table becomes an altar, a shelf turns into a tribute, and even the dresser fills with flowers and photographs.
The Heart of a Tradition
Alters and offerings are the soul of this celebration. Each element has a purpose: the cempasúchil, with its orange color, illuminates the way back; candles represent hope and faith; incense cleanses the space of negative energies; pan de muerto symbolizes fraternity; and photographs evoke the presence of those who are no longer with us, turning the altar into an intimate space for reunion.
“At IKEA, we believe that remembering is a way of living. By creating a space for remembrance, we also transform our home and the way we inhabit it,” said Fernanda Cortés, External Communication Manager of IKEA Mexico.
Tradition and Technology in Harmony
This year, at the iconic Centro de Coyoacán, tradition is reinterpreted in a dialogue between the ancestral and the contemporary. At the center of the installation is a KALLAX shelf, one of IKEA’s most iconic pieces, transformed into a collective and living altar, designed to house countless memories in the same space.
Each compartment becomes a memory niche, where design, light, and technology intertwine to remind us that the home can also be a place to reconnect with what gives our lives meaning.
An Interactive and Emotional Experience
The experience invites the public to participate through an interactive website, where each person can upload a photograph of their beloved deceased. Thanks to artificial intelligence, these images will transform into commemorative portraits with a unique digital frame and subtle animation, evoking the sensation that the person “comes back to life,” if only for a moment.
The result will be a downloadable and shareable commemorative video on social networks, an intimate, personal, and deeply emotional gesture.
Parallel to this, all photographs will be integrated into a physical installation in Mexico City: a collective altar within the KALLAX, where images will be projected continuously, creating a shared memory space.
This installation aims to become a meeting point where strangers connect through what is most universal: love and remembrance.
Innovation with Purpose
With this activation, tradition and technology unite to remind us that offerings are not only a way to honor those who have departed but also a mirror of those who remain: our ability to remember, share, and celebrate life through memory.
With this initiative, IKEA reaffirms its purpose of improving life at home, demonstrating that even in the most deeply rooted traditions, there is room for innovation, sensitivity, and unity.
About IKEA
IKEA offers home furnishings and accessories of excellent design, functionality, affordability, and high quality, crafted with special attention to providing integrated solutions for people while caring for the environment. All under the vision of “creating a better everyday life for the majority of people.”
In Mexico, the brand has stores in Mexico City (Encuentro Oceanía), Puebla (Vía San Ángel), and Zapopan, Jalisco, in addition to national availability through IKEA.mx.
In 2024, for the second consecutive year, IKEA was ranked among the 100 most responsible companies in Mexico, according to the Monitor Empresarial de Reputación Corporativa (MERCO). It was also recognized as Best eCommerce in the Premios eCommerce MX 2025, for its innovation and leadership in digital strategies.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is IKEA’s initiative for Day of the Dead 2025? IKEA presents “Make Space for Memory,” a collective installation that encourages honoring the tradition with a more conscious perspective, giving memory its own space within the home.
- Where and when can this installation be experienced? The installation is at the Centro de Coyoacán in Mexico City from October 31 to November 2, 2025. It combines a physical altar within a KALLAX shelf and an interactive digital experience.
- How does the digital experience work? Participants can upload photos of their loved ones on an interactive website. AI transforms these images into commemorative portraits with unique digital frames and animations, creating a downloadable video to share on social media.
- What is the purpose of this initiative? By merging tradition and technology, IKEA aims to remind us that offerings are not only a way to honor those who have passed but also reflect our capacity to remember, share, and celebrate life through memory.
