Copenhagen: Frida Kahlo – A Live In Art

Portrait of Lady in White by Frida Kahlo, 1929. Identified as Adela Formoso de Obregón Santacilia. Photo by Birthe Havmoeller.

If you like photos of Frida Kahlo, go see the exhibtion Frida Kahlo – A Live In Art at Arken Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen. There are more photos of Frida than paintings by her at this exhibition.

The Arken’s press release read: ‘Strong and independent, she (Frida Kahlo) is an inspirational role model. The exhibition offers a look at Kahlo’s oeuvre through a number of her most iconic self-portraits, drawings, pages from her diary as well as jewelry and dresses from her time. The works reflect her tragic life, embracing a horrible traffic accident and countless surgeries, tormented love for the artist Diego Rivera, affairs with both men and women, miscarriages and childlessness, as well as political activism’.

I was hoping that Arken would tell a somewhat queer / feminist story about bisexual Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), but unfornately they told the old story: Frida loves Diego and Diego is a jerk, because he has affairs with other women… and Frida is unhappy.

However, I was happy to see Frida’s Portrait of Lady in White, a painting of feminist activist Adela Formoso de Obregón Santacilia (see above), who fought for the womens rights and was a highly respected woman in Mexico around 1930.

The exhibition, which runs through January 12, 2014, also presentes some of Frida’s colorfull Mexican dresses (see photo below), some of her works on paper, and works by Diego Rivera.

Frida Kahlo – A Live In Art at Arken Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen, Denmark. Exhibition view. Photo by Birthe Havmoeller.