The work of Frida Kahlo, one of the most eminent and interesting artists of the 20th century, will be at display during an exhibition at the Royal Łazienki Museum from 7 July to 3 September 2023. We can discover the unique world of the Mexican painter through colours, paintings and photographs, as well as an outdoor installation referring to the famous La Casa Azul.

‘The colour of life’ – what does the exhibition symbolise?

Frida Kahlo was one of the most genuine artists of the previous century. Her work was filled with expressive colours, although life did not spare her suffering.

The exhibition ‘Colour of Life. Frida Kahlo’ is a multi-faceted space, just as dynamic as the Mexican painter’s biography and art. She is emblematic of the story of a sensitive woman, who searches for her identity, has enormous creative power and is able to overcome pain.

Frida Kahlo contracted polio as a child and was severely injured in an accident as a teenager. She underwent dozens of surgeries, however her body never returned to full fitness. She nevertheless has not lost the will to create.

Frida Kahlo was also influenced by the culture of the indigenous people of Mexico, which she often referred to in her works. She also drew strength from closeness to nature. She loved spending time in the garden, surrounded by plants and animals and Pre-Columbian sculptures.

‘The colour of life’ – this you will see at the exhibition

Three paintings by Frida Kahlo are on display at the Officer Cadets School: ‘My dress hangs there’ (1933), ‘Coconuts’ (1951) and ‘Still life with watermelons’ (1953). The exhibition is enriched by archival photos of the artist’s life, as well as a film from 1941. The creator of the documentary is Nickolas Muray, an American photographer, a friend of Frida Kahlo and author of many of her photographs. In the archival footage we can see the artist and her husband, Diego Rivera, in the garden of the Blue House. Despite the passage of years, the quality of the film, especially the colour intensity, has been superbly preserved.

As part of the exhibition visitors can also enjoy an outdoor installation in the courtyard of the Officer Cadets School; it recreates parts of Frida Kahlo’s Blue House, where the artist was born, raised, where she created and died. This is the famous La Casa Azul in Mexico’s Coyoacán district, which is now a museum of the legendary painter. Cobalt, red, green – from the very first steps we feel that we have entered the unique world of Frida Kahlo, which is full of colour and nature.

A statue depicting a Mexican deity stands against one of the walls of the installation, an alcove reproduced from archival photographs of the patio at La Casa Azul. The work refers to one of the native sculptures with which Frida Kahlo and her husband filled the garden at the Blue House. A copy of the Mexican statue was made by Michał Selerowski, a Polish sculptor.

Polish-Mexican cooperation

The work on the concept of an exhibition dedicated to the oeuvre of Frida Kahlo was initiated by late Professor Zbigniew Wawer, Director of the Royal Łazienki Museum in the years 2017-2022. The exhibition is organised in the context of this year’s 95th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Mexico and the 65th anniversary of the creation of the Museo Frida Kahlo called La Casa Azul. Moreover, the opening of the exhibition coincides with the 116th anniversary of the legendary painter’s birth.

The exhibition was designed as a result of collaboration of the Royal Łazienki Museum, the Embassy of Mexico and Colección Acervo INBAL – Museo de Arte Moderno, a Mexican cultural institution dedicated to promotion of Mexican culture worldwide.

Events accompanying the exhibition

The ‘Colour of Life. Frida Kahlo’ exhibition is accompanied by a rich educational program: workshops, meetings, lectures, guided tours in Polish, English and Spanish.

Join us for guided tours of the exhibition ‘The Colour of Life. Frida Kahlo’ in English. These will take place on 15 July 2023 at 14.00 and 13 August 2023 at noon. Entry: PLN 30 – normal ticket, PLN 15 – reduced ticket. Tickets are available at the ticket office in the Officer Cadets School one week before the tour.

The exhibition ‘The Colour of Life. Frida Kahlo’ also offers a creative space named ‘Frida and Fridita’ in the Old Guardhouse; it is inspired by the works of the Mexican artist. The place is full of colours and smells. There, families with children can experience art through play.

Meet Fridita, a future painter, a girl with a distinctive character, with a rich imagination, curious about life and herself. Enter the world of Frida, an arch-Mexican woman, liberated, experienced by the disability and suffering she depicted in her paintings.

Feel like a guest in the home and life of Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderόn (1907-1954), an artist of colors and contrasts. Sit at the table in her dining room, enjoy the smell of coconuts and oranges. Lie back and create in the canopy bed. Check out the corset and orthopedic shoe. Put on Tehuan outfits and weave ribbons and flowers into your hair. Listen to the story about ‘Beautiful’.