The brief was to create an exhibition showcasing Kahlo’s possessions from the Blue House in Mexico City, never before exhibited outside of her home country. Featuring a number of key self-portraits alongside Kahlo’s costumes, medical corsets, jewellery, accessories, photographs and letters, the exhibition aimed to reflect a compelling and very personal life story.
Working closely with exhibition co-curators Claire Wilcox and Circe Henestrosa, the design team transformed the temporary galleries at the V&A by creating a series of minimalist spaces with a modern aesthetic forming the backdrop for an intimate experience with Frida’s personal objects. The duality of Frida’s life is a running theme throughout the gallery design; her strong outward image and her profound disability; her Mexican identity and her European ancestry.
The design collaboration brought together the worlds of Art and Architecture with designer Tom Scutt, selected for his diverse work in theatre and music events, with Gibson Thornley, Architects with experience delivering complex and carefully considered buildings and structures. The wider team included Bob Design, who have developed bespoke signage and typography; Luke Halls studio and Ben & Max Ringham, who created a unique Audio Visual experience; DHA, who brought their expertise in gallery lighting and Focus Consultants, who acted as project managers and cost consultant. The team were supported by Webb Yates, Sandy Brown Associates and White Light.