With more than 150 works, the exhibition “Frida & Diego:Love&Revolution” currently on view at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in Adelaide, is more than just a presentation of the iconic art of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
Based on the renowned collection assembled by Jacques and Natasha Gelman, this elaborate exhibition tells the intimate story of Kahlo and Rivera as a couple whose lives were intertwined with art, passion and politics, against the backdrop of post-revolution Mexico, from the 1920's to 1950's.
The show, which spans three galleries, features not only Kahlo and Rivera's paintings, works on paper and rarely seen photographs, and period clothing - it also showcases works by other Mexican modernists, including Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, Miguel Covarrubias, María Izquierdo , Carlos Mérida and David Alfaro Siqueiros.
The exhibition's colorful design also reflects the turbulent times the Gelmans lived through during the 20th century while building their collection. Jacques Gelman was born in St. Petersburg to Jewish parents and became a film producer and distributor in Paris before moving to Mexico in 1938, shortly before the outbreak of World War II. In Mexico, he met Natasha Zahalka, who was also an immigrant from Europe, and the couple were married in 1941 in Mexico City. It was during their years in Mexico that they first became involved in art, forming a close friendship with Kahlo and Rivera and collecting their works, as well as works by other Mexican modernists.
Source: Artnet News