FRIDA: Portrait Of A Life

December 23, 2022 – March 26, 2023

Through a hundred of shots, for the most part original, the exhibition by ComediArting idea, in collaboration with Aurea Srl and curated by Gina Ingrassia reconstructs the events of the counter-current life of the great Mexican artist, in search of the reasons that transformed her into a feminine and pop icon at international level.

In fact, the photos were taken by his father Guillermo during his daughter’s childhood and youth and then by some of the greatest photographers of her time: Leo Matiz, Imogen Cunninghan, Edward Weston, Lucienne Bloch, Bernard Silbertein, Manuel and Lola Alvarez Bravo, Nickolas Muray and others. In this extraordinary “photo album” the often painful but always passionate events of a life run after each other, as well as Frida’s loves, friendships and adventures.

Also on display is a group of small, very intimate photographs of Frida, taken by the gallery owner Julien Levy.

The itinerary of “Frida Kahlo: Portrait of a life” first of all reconstructs the context in which Frida’s personality established itself: it is Mexico of the early twentieth century, crossed by a revolution that changed its history, thanks to humble campesinos and heroic protagonists such as Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata.

The epic and the myth of the Mexican revolution will remain etched in Frida’s mind and will forge her indomitable character, fueling her sense of rebellion against bourgeois conventions and the impositions of a strongly male-dominated society. The events of the Kahlo family take place in this context. Guillermo, the father, was a professional photographer of German origin, who arrived in Mexico in 1891 and soon fell in love with the country that welcomed him. His activity is evidenced by some photographs taken on behalf of the Austrian government, to document the churches of Mexico, built in the colonial period.

The exhibiton is hosted in the giant Hyundai Department Store, Seoul, Korea.