What better occasion to visit the Frida Kahlo Exhibit in Milano than Easter holiday? Her exhibit is at Milan’s Mudec Museum from February 1 through June 3, 2018. Whether you are a devout Kahlo admirer or just curious about her unusual life and style, you’ll be moved by the exhibit. The Mexican artist was labeled a surrealist, but her persona was deeply real and intimate. Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon loved the idea of leaving an impression, and she certainly did that. This exhibit is unique in that it, like its title, truly goes “beyond the myth”.
Diego Sileo, curator and art critic in Milan, in bringing this exhibit to life has focused on the true meaning behind Kahlo’s paintings and the culture they reflect. Her background was an important influence on her artistic imagination, beyond the myth that swallowed the true essence of this artist in a vicious vortex.
More than 100 works, some of which have never been seen before in Italy, are on display originating from the Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City and from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman collection. In addition, there are some 50 paintings, photographs, writings, and even a short film of Frida and her famous husband Diego Rivera at their home Casa Azul (now home to her official museum).
All the moments of her simple life are evident. From the car accident at just age 18 that affected her health and her spirit for the rest of her life, to the barrenness, to the troubled marriage with the husband that discovered her, to Diego Rivera and his reluctance towards all things conventional. But mostly, we can understand how much her strong Mexican identity and the pre-Columbian civilization influenced her art, so magic and hynotic. For this reason, the museum also created a parallel exhibit called Dreaming with the Ancestors. Mexican Archaeology in Frida’s Art and Life (curators Davide Domenici and Carolina Orsini). It’s a guided voyage of small, terracotta Aztec sculptures and photos of Frida and drawings that draw obvious similarities.
A colorful, vibrant person, not just in her clothing that she so loved, but in her multi-faceted personality. Strong and complex, an example of resilience and yet at the same time, of self-abandonment. Frida was exposed in every way, and always ready to tell her story. If you do go visit, you’ll see for yourself!
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Photo Copyrights: greenme.it, ioarte.org
