Presigious Frida Kahlo exhibition opens at gallery
SHOW ARRIVES IN COV FROM SELL-OUT RUN IN MADRID WITH 100,000 VISITORS
THOUSANDS of arts fans are set to descend on a Coventry exhibition celebrating the prodigious talent of Frida Kahlo. Life and Work of Frida Kahlo arrives to the city after a sell-out run in Madrid, where it welcomed more than 100,000 visitors.
The exhibition is being hosted at The Reel Store, the UK’S first permanent digital arts gallery, at the Telegraph Hotel in Upper Well Street, and gets underway tomorrow.
It comes after Chris Michaels was appointed the first director of the Reel Store. Formerly the director of digital, communications and technology at London’s National Gallery, Mr Michaels will be responsible for strategic direction and curatorial leadership at the Reel Store.
Of the venue’s latest feature, he said: “We are certain that it will not only provide an unforgettably moving snapshot of Kahlo’s iconic story, but will also bring her thoughts, emotions, and artwork to life. The exhibition invites visitors to the core of the creative experience, taking them on an intimate journey alongside one of the world’s most loved and respected artists.”
Designed and produced by Acciona Cultura in collaboration with the Frida Kahlo Trust, the exhibition combines academic research with an immersive spectacle that places visitors at the centre of the experience. The curatorial team behind the exhibition was led by Roxana Velasquez, Executive Director of the San Diego Museum of Art, and Deidre Guevara, Curator of the exhibition
Frida and I at the Georges Pompidou Museum in Paris.
Frida Kahlo was an acclaimed artist and public figure in the 1930s and 40s, Kahlo rubbed shoulders with the likes of Pablo Picasso and Alice Rahon. Visitors can explore her identity as a woman, painter and icon in what promises to be an immersive audiovisual show.
It covers her personal story, including her family origins in Mexico as well as the two most defining events of her life: a bus crash in 1925 that nearly paralysed her and her tumultuous relationship with artist Diego Rivera.
The exhibition has already won three major international awards: the ‘Best Experience Design 2022’ at the Innovation by Design Awards Fast Company, the Red Dot Design Award in the category ‘Brand and Communication Design 2022’ and the Silver award for ‘Best Technical Installation’ at the Eventoplus Awards.
Carla Prat, Artistic Director of ‘Life and Work of Frida Kahlo at Acciona Cultura,’ said: “This exhibition is the culmination of a long artistic and academic exercise to move away from the usual narrative of pain/victim and towards one of resilience, courage, female empowerment and genius.
“The truth is, despite the many biopics, books and exhibitions about Frida Kahlo, there remains much to learn and remember about her and her paintings. This exhibition screams: ‘This is what I felt. This is how I thought. This is how I was. Remember me!”
The exhibition runs until January 29. Ticket details at www.coventry2021.co. uk/the-reel-store/