The exhibition “Frida: a singular look into beauty and pain” arrived in Brazil at the Museum of Image and Sound (MIS) during the month of October as one of the many tributes that are still being created and elaborated to remember the story of the Mexican Frida Kahlo. Produced in Mexico City by a German photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten, the exhibition represents a rereading of the artist’s original works through photographs.
Even 70 years after her death, Frida continues to be remembered as one of the greatest symbols of struggle and resilience, who used art as a way of representing her pain and her trajectory. With a very strong national identity and an unique characteristic in the way she produced her works, the artist became known for her story of personal overcoming and for her strong participation in social and political issues.
Along the exhibition, you will be surprised by the many images that overflow with Frida’s energy and strength. With the obligatory presence of vibrant colors and the culture of Mexico, the images, as the Mexican woman’s paintings, overflow the scenes of struggle, loss, love, beauty, pain and much more. In addition to the images, the place takes you into the stories that are being told, with a structure strategically designed to take advantage of color and light as part of the exhibition.
Although the production was well done, for being a direct homage to Frida, some elements that correlate the two artists were missing. The exhibition emphasizes the photographic production more than a real tribute to the artist, as it was supposed to be by the name of the exposure. For those who went there not knowing Frida, wouldn’t get the references and inspirations behind the rereading work.
There could have been more elements that collaborated with a direct relation between the images and the real painting, that even if you don’t know the Mexican artist, you could enjoy the whole message behind production.
PRODUCTION behind the exhibition
The images in the exhibition were produced by Julia Fullerton-Batten, a German photographer known for her cinematic visual narratives and sophisticated lighting techniques. Julia had the collaboration of models, costume designers, producers, sets and much more, with an entire development of the photographs carefully thought out and planned so that the images conveyed the energy that was Frida Kahlo.
Frida is still an inspiration to many women today, just as she was to Julia when she decided to create the exhibition. The Mexican artist remains to this day one of the most emblematic and revolutionary figures of the 20th century. Using her pain and experiences to fight for social and political causes, her paintings represented much more than a representation, but a struggle.
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The article above was edited by Giulia El Houssami.
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