The exhibition invites visitors to explore Kahlo’s work, her famous self-portrait The Wounded Deer, in parallel with different parts of her identity: as a woman, painter and icon.
The exhibition, which is narrated using extracts from the artist’s diary combines academic research with 360-degree projection, hands-on display and an original soundtrack of traditional European and Mexican music. The show, which first opened in Madrid, Spain and recently opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has received rave reviews since its UK launch in November.
Visitors have commented how “beautiful”, “transfixing” and “emotive” the exhibition is.
One visitor said that “the project and sound was stunning, and it really allowed me to learn about her life and work in such a vivid way which was incredible. It’s great to see creative events like these available in Coventry and I will definitely be visiting again!”
Another visitor loved the digital immersion of the exhibition, commenting how “it was my first digital art installation experience and I enjoyed it very much. The sound and the visuals combined meant it was a very different experience to simply seeing pictures on a gallery wall.”
To celebrate the extension, The Reel Store will be running a range of drop-in and bookable activities including arts and crafts workshops for children and their families this February half-term, along with new opening times.
Chris Michaels, Director, The Reel Store, said: “We are so excited to announce the extension of Life and Work of Frida Kahlo at The Reel Store. The multi-award-winning exhibition has already received rave reviews from thousands of visitors, and we are delighted to welcome more audiences to experience this incredibly moving snapshot of Kahlo’s iconic story.
“The exhibition is a truly world-class digital experience, and we look forward to building on its success as we shape the future programme and role of The Reel Store in the UK’s digital creative ecosystem.”
The audio-visual exhibition was curated by international exhibition producer Acciona Cultura in collaboration with the Frida Kahlo Trust and gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about Kahlo’s life and work.
The audio-visual show is separated into three parts, with an accompanying voiceover taken from her writings.
The first part highlights Kahlo’s life in the 1930s and 1940s as an acclaimed public figure, exhibiting around the world and mingling with famous figures from the art world such as Pablo Picasso and Alice Rahon.
The second section explores her personal history, including her family’s Mexican origins and two of her most defining life events: a 1925 bus crash that nearly paralysed her and her tumultuous relationship with artist Diego Rivera.
The final section is framed around “The Blue House”, the location where most of her most famous pieces were painted and where Kahlo lived, worked and died.
The exhibition, based in The Reel Store, runs until 26 February 2023.
For more information and to book tickets, go to www.thereelstore.co.uk
