A pair of exhibitions celebrating the life and times of iconic 20th-century Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, has just landed at ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands from now till Sep 1.
Expect to explore the challenges, experiences and inner beliefs that defined the subversive artwork of Kahlo, now widely recognised as a feminist icon ahead of her time.
The first of these is Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon, a production by Layers of Reality and the Frida Kahlo Corporation now making its Southeast Asian debut at the ArtScience Museum.
Think of it as a biological chronicle that sends visitors on an immersive journey through major turning points in Kahlo’s life, as expressed through eight thematic spaces featuring photographs, films, light projections and interactive installations.
Highlights include “The Instant”, which uses holographic videos and multi-layered projections to bring to life a childhood accident that defined Kahlo’s later life; as well as “The Garden of Love”, an interactive space inspired by the artist’s very bucolic muse at her home in the Blue House in Mexico.
Thereafter comes an original ArtScience Museum exhibition, curated with the support of Kahlo’s great-niece, Cristina Kahlo Alcala, and fashion curator Circe Henestrosa.
Laid Bare: Frida’s Inner World offers an intimate look into the latter years of Kahlo’s life, exploring her complex medical history during the time she spent at the American British Cowdray Hopsital in Mexico up to her passing in 1954 at the age of 47.
Personal artefacts from Cristina Kahlo Alcala’s collection, such as her great-aunt’s medical documents, x-rays and clinical datasheets, will be on display outside of the United States for the first time, alongside contemporary artworks and exclusive interviews with Cristina herself.
End off your exploration of the iconic artist’s life with a virtual-reality experience on Level 4 of the museum. Exquisite Corpse (developed by Layers of Reality and Blit Studios) weaves the dreamlike landscapes and bold strokes characteristic of the painter into an immersive visual extravaganza, inviting visitors for the last time to think like Kahlo.
The season, as a whole, is titled Frida Forever, and continues ArtScience Museum’s series dedicated to women who have defined history. Other exhibitions as part of the museum’s Year of Extraordinary Women include Goddess: Brave. Bold. Beautiful. which runs till Aug 11.
Both Frida Kahlo: The Life of an Icon and Laid Bare: Frida’s Inner World will run from May 4 to Sep 1, 2024. For more details on Exquisite Corpse, visit here.