Hungarian National Gallery Faces Protests Over Frida Kahlo Exhibition

The Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest opened a Frida Kahlo exhibition on July 7, 2018, featuring over 30 works from the Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City, including her earliest known painting from 1927. The show has drawn large crowds and media attention, but also sparked protests from Hungary's far-right nationalist groups, who accuse Kahlo of being a communist icon due to her historical ties to the Communist Party. The controversy began after a pro-government right-wing newspaper published an article focusing on Kahlo's political beliefs rather than her art. The nationalists are demanding the exhibition's closure, citing Hungary's painful memories of communist dictatorship. The exhibition is non-political in nature, consisting mainly of portraits and self-portraits reflecting Kahlo's life and Mexican cultural heritage. The show runs until November 4, 2018, at the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest.