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Major Frida Kahlo exhibition rescheduled to autumn 2021

Press release April 30, 2020

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Drents Museum in Assen has decided to reschedule the major exhibition Viva la Frida! – Life and Art of Frida Kahlo to the autumn of 2021. The exhibition dedicated to the world-famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) initially planned for this coming autumn will now take place exactly one year later and with the same duration: from 10 October 2021 to 27 March 2022. 

‘We were faced with a huge dilemma, but the decision has been taken,’ says Harry Tupan, general director of the Drents Museum. ‘In light of the corona crisis, the organisation of our extensive Frida Kahlo project for this coming autumn has ended up in difficult straits. The safety of our visitors and staff is paramount. Given that we want to do justice to Frida Kahlo’s fantastic work and still allow as many visitors as possible to enjoy the exhibition in a safe and hospitable way, it would be irresponsible for us to open the exhibition this year. 

Our lending partners in Mexico have also expressly requested this rescheduling in view of the uncertain situation surrounding the corona crisis there. We are therefore relieved and delighted that, in close consultation with our important lending partners in Mexico – Museo Dolores Olmedo and Museo Frida Kahlo – and our stakeholders in the Netherlands, it has proven possible to reschedule the exhibition to next year. This will ensure that we can present the story of one of the most beloved artists in the world as we envision it.’ The Drents Museum will announce its programming for the autumn of 2020 shortly. 

Tickets will remain valid 
Visitors who have already purchased tickets for Viva la Frida! do not need to take any action. The Drents Museum will automatically convert the ticket to the corresponding dates of the new exhibition period. An overview of the rescheduled dates can be found on: www.drentsmuseum.nl/en/frida-ticket-calendar. Ticket holders who disagree with the new date or have other questions are kindly requested to contact: tickets@drentsmuseum.nl. Regular tickets for the new exhibition period will be available from the beginning of June 2020. 

Viva la Frida! now from 10 October 2021 
The exhibition Viva la Frida! – The Life and Art of Frida Kahlo, on view from 10 October 2021 to 27 March 2022 in the Drents Museum, sets a world benchmark. For the first time, two major Frida Kahlo museum collections, both in Mexico City, come together in one exhibition: Museo Dolores Olmedo, which has the largest holdings of Kahlo’s top paintings and drawings in the world, and Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul, the Blue House), which showcases biographical objects. 

This unique combination of loans makes it possible for the Drents Museum to tell the whole Frida Kahlo story. In addition to key works of art, such as the famous Self-portrait with Monkey and The Broken Column (Museo Dolores Olmedo), the Museum is also displaying Frida’s personal belongings, including her clothing, painted corsets and jewellery (Museo Frida Kahlo). 

The entire Museum dedicated to Frida 
From the autumn of 2021, the entire Drents Museum will be dedicated to Frida Kahlo. Parallel to Viva la Frida! the Museum will present Beyond Frida – Contemporary Art, Fashion & Music. This show, with work by leading international contemporary artists, affords surprising insight into how Frida Kahlo inspired the cultural world in her own time, and still does today: not only in the visual arts, but also in the fields of fashion and music. 

Works by Rosa Loy, Yasumasa Morimura and Jean Paul Gaultier, among others, are featured. Moreover, in Meet Frida visitors become acquainted with the Mexican artist on the basis of film footage and around one hundred biographical photographs from Museo Dolores Olmedo. The Drents Museum is developing extensive complementary programming for the Frida Kahlo exhibitions. 

Press photos

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Credits

  • Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Small Monkey, 1945, oil on masonite. Collection Museo Dolores Olmedo, Xochimilco, Mexico © 2020 Banco de México, Fideicomiso Museos Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo. Av. 5 de Mayo 2, col. Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000, Ciudad de México/ Reproduction authorized by El Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura, 2020