art
The Commodification of Frida Kahlo
A new exhibition struggles to explain how the Marxist anti-imperialist became one of the most influential artists of all time, further commercialising her legacy.
TL;DR
- The Tate Modern exhibition 'Frida: The Making of an Icon' primarily features merchandise and works by others, with only a fraction of pieces by Kahlo herself.
- Critics like Emily Steer and Chloë Ashby point out how the exhibition conflates Kahlo's legacy with commercial products, potentially disserving her memory.
- The exhibition's co-curator, Beatriz García-Velasco, suggests commercialization can be seen as 'democratic ownership,' but this is debated.
- While the exhibition touches on Kahlo's communist affiliations and her struggles with pain and miscarriage, it remains tentative and avoids deeper exploration of her political radicalism and personal self-destructiveness.
- The exhibition's neutral stance on Kahlo's commodification is seen as a missed opportunity to critically examine 'Fridamania'.