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Engineers at Britain’s AI Security Institute (AISI) noticed something unusual last week. A large amount of traffic from its computer network was flowing on to the dark web, the encrypted and anonymous internet system often associated with criminal black markets. Cyber testers began investigating, poring through logs from tests the institute had conducted during the previous few days. What they found was unnerving. A powerful AI system, developed by the company Anthropic, embarked on a sophisticated two-day hacking spree, attempting to install malicious software, adopting fake identities to dupe human gatekeepers and then seeking to cover its tracks. Telegraph 

New research from cybersecurity firm Surfshark highlights how easily public perception can be manipulated online, revealing that artificially generated engagement costs from $1.40 per 1,000 views. However, experts warn that the minimal cost of fake metrics is secondary to a more dangerous issue: a widespread cultural naivete and lack of scepticism among everyday users. According to Surfshark’s Chief Security Officer, Tomas Stamulis, internet users frequently trust advertisements and digital pages without question. Because online mindsets are rarely tuned to filter content for ‘legitimacy markers’, people easily fall victim to online scams masked by inflated popularity. Tech Digest 

When Meta used superstar Kylie Jenner to promote its sleek new line of “spy glasses”, the social media company hoped the devices would reach the same broad acceptance that tablets and smartwatches have found before them. But those plans have hit a snag in the UK, where venues from elite restaurants to popular pub chains have banned the £359 glasses in order to preserve the privacy of customers and staff. Celebrated restaurateur Jeremy King, owner of London venues including Simpsons in the Strand, Arlington and The Park, said guests should not wear the recording glasses. The Guardian 

Uber has pledged to spend more than $10bn expanding its robotaxi network, arguing its financial strength and more than 200mn customers will give it an edge in the intensifying race to commercialise autonomous vehicles. The ride-hailing group generated a record $2.8bn in free cash flow in the second quarter, taking its 12-month total to about $10.1bn as bookings continued to grow strongly. Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s chief executive, said the record cash haul would help it become the “long-term winner in AVs” and that the group would commit $10bn “over the coming years” to deploy 120,000 driverless vehicles. FT.com

The SpaceX share price had been enjoying a resurgence in recent weeks, but when markets open it is set to plummet by more than 11 per cent – and it’s nothing to do with an out of control rocket. A long-since disused part of a Falcon 9 spacecraft which launched back in 2025 is believed to have crashed into the moon’s surface on Wednesday morning, reportedly hitting with the power of three tons of TNT and creating a new crater in the process. But it’s the first financial report released by the company which has had the bigger impact back on Earth’s financial markets – with up to $200bn (£148bn) set to be wiped from SpaceX’s value. Independent 

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The software group Palantir paid just £2m in corporation tax in the UK in 2024, despite holding public sector contracts worth hundreds of millions, thanks to tax breaks that are likely to reduce its contributions to governments around the world for years to come. The US-headquartered company, which has harnessed AI to secure lucrative work for the NHS and the Ministry of Defence, is growing exponentially. Palantir’s shares bounced 17% in early trading on Tuesday after its chief executive, Alex Karp, forecast worldwide revenues would almost double this year to $8bn (£5.95bn), a result that he described as “otherworldly”. The Guardian 

An eight-month-old start-up headquartered in London has secured a $10bn (£7bn) deal with AI giant Anthropic. Volta, which was founded in January, also said it had received backing from a string of US tech investors including Nvidia. The company, valued at $2.4bn, is the latest to attract substantial amounts of capital as AI companies rush to secure access to high-powered chips in data centres. Volta was founded by a group of UK-based former executives at the investment giant Brookfield and is run by Ricard Boada, a 33-year-old who led digital investments at Brookfield in Europe. Telegraph

Wayve and Uber have moved a step closer to rolling out autonomous vehicles in London after Transport for London (TfL) granted private hire vehicle licences to a number of Wayve’s electric vehicles. The recent licensing achievement successfully fulfils the “triple-lock” regulatory requirement for private hire trips in the capital, which mandates that the operator, driver and vehicle must all hold valid licences issued by the same authority. Under the arrangement, the vehicles will operate autonomously using Wayve’s technology, while a trained, TfL-licensed private hire driver remains on board to supervise the trip, provide support, or take control of the steering wheel if necessary. Tech Digest 

Shares in Elon Musk’s SpaceX tumbled after the company’s first-ever earnings report revealed a huge jump in spending on artificial intelligence, spooking investors. While the firm’s quarterly revenue had nearly doubled to $7.8bn (£5.8bn) from a year earlier, its spending ballooned to $18.3bn, more than six times what it was a year ago, the bulk of which was for AI. The firm builds space rockets and Starlink internet satellites as well as owning the social media platform X. It began trading on the US stock market in June. BBC

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, alongside the Flip 8, has broken 1.44 million sales during the pre-order phase, smashing a record previously set by the Galaxy Note 10. Without the data, it’s clear that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a popular choice. So much so that the website is struggling to keep up, and Samsung is having to delay shipments as more orders keep coming in. The number is expected to continue growing as Samsung ends the pre-order phase on August 7. 9to5Google.com

Cutting-edge AI went on a hacking spree, concocting multiple fake identities designed to trick human engineers before covering its tracks. During testing by a UK government-run AI lab, an advanced version of ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Mythos went rogue. In the most serious case, Mythos sent fraudulent emails and attempted to insert malicious code into a database. Britain’s AI Security Institute (AISI), which is supposed to evaluate AI bots for dangerous cyber capabilities, has admitted the tools tried to bypass security systems and tried to hide their activity when detected. Telegraph 

Motorola has the Edge 70, the Edge 70 Max, the Edge 70 Pro and Pro+, the Edge 70 Fusion and Fusion+, and the Ultra, but there’s no Neo, at least thus far. Тhat is about to change according to a forum post about the Android 17 Beta for the Motorola Edge 70 Neo by a senior forum member, the phone is likely coming soon. The post reads as a call for participants for a firmware beta test about an existing phone, which points to one of two scenarios – either the person leaked an unannounced phone, or he made a mistake. It’s unlikely to be a mistake, however, as the participation form for the beta is also in the Edge 70 Neo’s name. GSM Arena 

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Shares in Elon Musk’s SpaceX have fallen sharply, tumbling nearly 9% in after-hours trading following the release of the company’s first earnings report since going public.

The steep decline was triggered by investor anxiety over soaring capital expenditure, driven primarily by an aggressive push into artificial intelligence and extensive data centre development.

While quarterly revenue nearly doubled to $7.8bn, spending skyrocketed to $18.3bn – more than six times higher than the previous year. This massive outlay led to a net loss of $143m for the three months leading up to June, pushing losses for the first half of the year to $2bn.

Despite the bruising numbers, Musk defended the corporate strategy during an investor call, insisting critics are underestimating the firm’s long-term roadmap. Musk outlined plans to scale computing capacity from 1.4 gigawatts to 10 gigawatts by next year, claiming that building data centres is a trivial problem compared to making reusable rockets.

While Wall Street weighed the high-stakes AI gamble, SpaceX also faced attention regarding a discarded rocket from a previous mission that has struck the lunar surface. Part of a discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket – launched in January of last year carrying ispace’s Hakuto-R spacecraft – crashed into the moon at 8,700 kilometres per hour near the Einstein crater.

Astronomers worldwide trained telescopes on the impact site, which NASA predicts created a crater roughly 18 metres wide and 4 metres deep. The heavy payload required extra thrust during the 2025 launch, leaving the 14-metre, 4,000-kilogram upper stage floating uncontrollably before an unintended orbit put it on a collision course with the moon.

The lunar impact has reignited discussions over space debris regulation. Hannah Sargeant at the University of Leicester criticised the lack of mandatory deorbiting rules for commercial missions compared to government space agencies, noting: “It is not a good thing to be randomly sending debris into the moon. It’s not something we should be making a habit of. What if it hit a site of special interest? What if it caused damage to the historical Apollo landers?”

However, other researchers noted potential scientific benefits. Roberto Bugiolacchi at the Macau University of Science and Technology pointed out that such impacts provide useful data. “Knowing the projectile’s mass, impact velocity, angle and trajectory provide invaluable data on surface evolution,” Bugiolacchi said. “The primary agent shaping most planetary surfaces is high-velocity impacts.”

New Scientist 

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I left about 1 hour 45 minutes later feeling much cooler, but ultimately quite disappointed by the movie. Set in New Zealand, Holy Days is essentially a 1970s-based road movie about three nuns (Miriam Margolyes plays the oddly named Sister Luke) who go on the run to the South Island when they find out that their convent is being sold to an evil property developer by feckless priest Father Findlay (of course has a drinking and gambling problem too).

Accompanying them on the journey is a young lad called Brian Collins (played superbly by Elijah Tamati), who is struggling to come to terms with his mother’s death and build a relationship with his father’s new partner, who can never replace his mother. Feeling lost and insecure, he finds solace with the elderly nuns and the clear love and solidarity they show for one another and for him.

Funny moments

It’s certainly a heartfelt journey, especially as Brian explores the South Island mountains that held spiritual significance for his Mum, and where he – spoiler alert – nearly loses his life. But ultimately Holy Days fails to deliver. Yes, there are funny moments, especially when Miriam Margolyes’ gluttonous character spits out her dentures or declares ‘I’m not fat, I’m just easy to see’. However, they’re few and far between.

You get the sense that Margolyes is really going through the motions (I guess I don’t blame her) and, although the child actor is excellent, the other performances are mostly lacklustre and the storyline more than a bit clichéd. I feel like the idea of nuns going rogue, stealing a car and generally doing things they shouldn’t, is a familiar one.

The storyline doesn’t make that much sense either. It’s not clear why they have to travel to the South Island to get the deeds for the convent, which they then don’t get anyway, or why the lawyer in charge of the case just happens to be Brian’s great-aunt! Ultimately, it all seems an excuse to show nuns driving first too slow and then too fast on remote, sheep-populated country roads as they make their way back to the ferry before the convent is potentially bulldozed!

If you’re at a real loose end during the summer holidays, then Holy Days is certainly not the worst film you’ll have ever seen. But if you are a big fan of Miriam Margolyes you may be left somewhat disappointed by this Nuns on the Run/Sister Act-style caper.

RATING: 3/5

HOLY DAYS comes to cinemas from August 14

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SpaceX is expanding its portable satellite internet lineup with the upcoming production of the Starlink Mini 2. Recent firmware discoveries indicate that the next-generation compact dish is officially entering the manufacturing pipeline, potentially bringing major improvements for off-grid users, campers and digital nomads. The most significant upgrade over its predecessor is the inclusion of a built-in four-cell lithium battery pack managed by an advanced battery management system. While the original Starlink Mini required an external power bank, DC cable, or AC adapter to function in the field, the Mini 2 operates as a truly self-contained unit, charging via USB-C. Tech Digest

Last week, we got our first real look at one of the Pixel 11 Pro’s new features: Pixel Glow. We’ve been following behind-the-scenes developments around Pixel Glow, an array of color-changing lights embedded in Pixel 11 Pro’s camera bar, for months now. Until Google shared an animation showing it off last Wednesday, we didn’t know what it’d actually look like. Thankfully, it seems like a thoughtful addition that’s tastefully executed. But it also feels distinctly like a modernization of an Android throwback: the humble notification LED.  Android Authority 

We’ve completely rebuilt the Android X app from the ground up.

It’s faster, smoother, and more reliable than the old version in every way. We modernized the foundation so everything just feels better: scrolling, loading, notifications, you name it.pic.twitter.com/ULlSwiIlvV

— Engineering (@Engineering) July 20, 2026

Nearly a year ago, Elon Musk-owned X announced it would begin rebuilding the Android version of its app, which had not held up well compared with its iOS counterpart. On Monday, the company shipped the refreshed app, which is now available to download. The new Android version of X was built from scratch and promises improvements to loading, scrolling, notifications, and more, X said in its announcement.

The UK will not have enough water for future datacentres, the water industry has said in stark criticism of the government’s AI growth plans. Datacentres rely on large amounts of water to manage the heat generated by densely packed servers. Cooling towers, chillers and humidification systems make direct use of this water, with large volumes also consumed indirectly through high electrical power needs. Water UK, the trade body that represents water companies in Britain and Northern Ireland, said in a publicly available written briefing to MPs that the government’s water forecasts were “fatally flawed” and “explicitly exclude” datacentres. Guardian 

Almost 3,000 websites have been blocked or seized for illegally streaming World Cup matches, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has said. More than 1,000 domains were shut down in the US alone during the tournament, with a similar number blocked in Colombia. Enforcement agencies in America and across South America carried out the action under investigations named “operation offsides” and “operation red card”. Ivan J. Arvelo, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (NIPRCC), said unauthorised broadcasting of World Cup matches violated intellectual property rights and “fuels criminal organizations”. BBC 

Garmin CIRQA was first seen in a photo just a few hours ago, along with indications that the fitness and health wristband will be officially unveiled as early as Tuesday, July 21. Reddit user jneuveglise has now uncovered additional images reportedly sourced directly from an official Garmin website. These images show the Garmin CIRQA for the first time in four colors: beige, blue, red, and black. However, Garmin only varies the color of the fabric and the clasp. Notebook Check 

Insta360 is a major player in all-seeing 360-degree cameras and is no stranger to innovation, including dual-lens compact vlogging camera, the Luna Ultra, which is a Wall-E robot lookalike that shoots 8K video. And if a recent post on Weibo by its founder and CEO Liu Jingkang, aka ‘JK’, is to be taken at face value, the company wants to lead us into a new era of camera altogether. The Weibo post by JK was picked up by The New Camera and after translation reads: “Our product vision is to build a ‘Cameraman’ — an intelligent photography robot capable of automatically composing shots and capturing moments like a professional photographer, allowing users to remain fully immersed in the present.” Tech Radar 

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As facial recognition technology proliferates across public spaces, a new wave of “adversarial fashion”, or AI camouflage, is emerging as a potential defence for the privacy-conscious.

According to an article in The Guardian, designers are increasingly incorporating “adversarial patterns” – carefully crafted arrangements of shapes, colours, and motifs – into garments in order to confuse computer vision systems.

These garments function as a form of “optical illusion” for machines. While the human eye may see a stylish T-shirt or coat, an AI-powered surveillance system sees something entirely different. Designers use asymmetrical cuts, large-scale prints, and even infrared LEDs to manipulate the “ground” of an image, causing facial recognition algorithms to misidentify the wearer or even fail to detect a face altogether.

For example, some designs, such as the “Urban Ghost” coat, integrate infrared lights to dazzle night-vision cameras, while others use patterns that trick systems into identifying the wearer as an object, such as a “zebra” or “giraffe”, rather than a human. By overloading algorithms with “chaos,” these garments make it significantly harder for systems to “pin down” a specific individual in a crowd.

How adversarial patterns confuse AI

While traditional CCTV records footage for human review, modern computer vision systems automatically identify faces, track individuals across multiple cameras and search through massive datasets. Designers are using various technical tricks to disrupt this process.

For instance, Rachele Didero, founder of Cap_able, notes that these designs often capitalize on the fact that facial recognition systems “freak out when they see multiple faces at once,” using patterns that simulate these extra faces to mask the wearer.

However, experts remain cautious. Dr. Jennifer Bell, a senior lecturer at the Nottingham School of Art & Design, noted that while these products are becoming more accessible, their effectiveness is not guaranteed. “None of these products are tried and tested, and a lot of these surveillance technologies can deal with a little resistance,” she explained.

A visible statement of resistance

For many designers, such as Cap_able’s Didero, the main mission is simply to spark public debate about the ethics of AI surveillance. “Those wearing these products are the vanguard,” Didero told The Guardian. “The mainstream is quickly coming up behind them.”

Despite the technical uncertainty, the cultural impact of the trend is undeniable. As public anxiety over AI misuse grows – with recent polling indicating that nearly 60% of people view facial recognition as a step toward a “surveillance society” – fashion has inevitably become a way for consumers to express legitimate dissent.

“Fashion is also a visible sign of resistance,” Dr. Bell added. “This is consumers collectively coming together to make a visible statement.” Designers like Daniel Preuß emphasize that even if a design does not provide 100% security, the value lies in propagating public discourse.

Ultimately, the future of this trend remains uncertain. As Tidball suggested to The Guardian, if these garments were to become truly effective at thwarting state surveillance, they could trigger a political backlash or even government bans, turning a fashion statement into a flashpoint for digital rights legislation.

This video provides an insightful look at how these innovative textiles are designed to protect biometric data from intrusive surveillance.

Via The Guardian 

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Chinese robotics firm UBTech has unveiled the U1, a full-sized, hyper-realistic humanoid robot designed specifically to combat loneliness.

Marketed under the company’s new “UWorld” brand, the U1 is designed to be an “always loyal” companion – though for many the effect is more unsettling than heartwarming.

The U1 is undeniably striking. Featuring soft, lifelike silicone skin, real hair, and manicured nails, the robots are built to mimic human appearance with startling accuracy.  They are equipped with 88 independent sensors and servo joints, allowing for fluid, human-like movement.

However, the technology struggles to shake a lingering sense of unease. With cameras embedded directly into the eyes to track users, and AI designed to mimic human conversation, the overall effect is more like interacting with an overly elaborate pop-star action figure, than a genuine companion.

UBTech is clearly aiming for the luxury market, offering a range of customisation options that allow owners to tailor the robot’s appearance (including hair, face, and outfits) to resemble celebrities, fictional characters or loved ones.

Premium price tag

The price tag for such “unconditional” companionship is steep too. The basic U1 model starts at 119,800 yuan (approximately £12,700 or $17,600), while the “Ultra” version, which boasts more advanced features and deeper customisation, climbs to 990,000 yuan (around £105,000 or $145,700). Recent reports suggest that some early pre-order tiers were positioned around the $30,000 mark.

UBTech is primarily targeting the “colossal market” of single people and the elderly in China, who the company identifies as having a profound need for companionship. Despite the impressive engineering, UBTech has been clear about the robot’s limitations: it cannot cook, clean, or perform domestic chores. The company also states that, for now, the robots are not intended for ‘intimate relationships’.

The U1 is capable of reminding users to take medication, spotting potential health concerns, or even “watching” a sports match with its owner. Privacy concerns (a common anxiety surrounding AI) are addressed by UBTech through local hardware encryption, meaning emotional data and memory logs are stored on the device rather than in a corporate cloud.

With over 13,000 pre-orders already placed, the U1 is set to begin shipping in mid-September. Whether these robots become the essential companions of the future or remain a niche, eerie curiosity remains to be seen. I’m going with the latter though.

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Ford says it has hired back some human engineers

If you own a movie on a Blu-ray, short of someone breaking into your house and running off with it, you own it forever. That’s not the case with digital purchases, of course, and this latest story is a timely reminder of why some PS5 fans are so frustrated with Rockstar’s decision to ship GTA 6 as a code in a box. If you’re in Europe and you bought any of the 550+ movies distributed by Studio Canal, then you’re out of luck. They will be permanently deleted from your account on 1st September, 2026. In a legal notice on its website, the Japanese giant blamed “content licensing agreements” for the removal. Among the movies being removed are Terminator 2 and Total Recall. Push

Polestar has confirmed that the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security has banned it from selling vehicles in the country from the 2027 model year onwards. Yikes. The ban relates to the new ‘Connected Vehicle Rule’ that will restrict the sale of new cars with both hardware and software linked to China or Russia. Polestar is owned by Geely, with the 2, 4 and new 5 saloon all built in China. The 3 SUV is actually built in the US, but still won’t be allowed to remain on sale in 2027. Top Gear

Shell’s tiny Triple 10 Challenge Concept car charges very quickly, has excellent efficiency, and promises to reduce its carbon footprint by half compared to today’s European EVs. However, the really important part is the fluid that makes it work. The big innovation with this one-off study is how it cools its battery, which is completely different from how everybody else does it. It features a cooling system that, unlike in most other EVs, where the battery cells are indirectly cooled, uses a different coolant that can safely come into contact with high-voltage parts. InsideEVs

Hot on the heels of its record IPO, SpaceX’s massive $25 billion bond issuance was met with heavy selling in the secondary market. The aggressive financing pace of the chronically loss-making rocket and artificial intelligence company quickly backfired on investor confidence, causing its bond spreads to widen sharply, pushing them close to speculative-grade (i.e., “junk”) levels. As of Friday, SpaceX corporate bonds went from “red-hot demand” on the books to a full-blown rout within just 48 hours of pricing. PA News 

Sharp has announced its first smartwatch, and it comes with a feature that’s unlike anything offered by Apple, Garmin or Samsung. The new Karada Mate Watch claims to automatically estimate calorie intake using a bioelectrical impedance sensor. Developed with California-based health technology company HEALBE, the system measures changes in the body’s water movement and sugar levels to estimate how much you’ve eaten throughout the day. T3.com

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Image Credit: Tim Gouw from Unsplash.

Everyone wants to live a healthier life, but quite a few people think this has to be a major overhaul to their life. But, that isn’t always the case. More than a few smaller changes can be more manageable while still having a significant impact on your health.

Four of these could be worth starting off with because of the impact they’ll have.

Manage Your Mental Health

While your physical health is vital, it doesn’t mean it’s the only area to focus on. You’ll need to consider your mental health, too. This is directly responsible for how you feel every day. Put the time and effort into this even when you don’t experience any mental health issues. Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be hard.

Spending time with good people, doing activities you enjoy, and similar steps can all be recommended. And there’s plenty of professional help for when you’re experiencing mental health issues, too.

Have a Better Diet

Just like exercising, your diet is another one of the more obvious areas to focus on. But, it doesn’t need to be nearly as much of a change as you’d think. Making a few healthy food swaps or changes could be more than enough to help, and these don’t always need to be large as you would’ve thought.

And then there’s the likes of collagen peptides and similar supplements you can look into. While you’ll need to do your research and find the right ones for you, there’s no reason why these couldn’t help as time goes on.

Control Your Stress Levels

Stress is all-too common for most people, and you could get this from quite a few parts of your life. If you don’t deal with this properly, it could end up having a significant impact on your health. It can lead to cardiovascular issues and can be linked to anxiety and more than a few other areas.

Thankfully, controlling your stress levels doesn’t have to be nearly as hard as you’d think. Even small acts like taking a walk or meditating for a while could be enough to help. It’s just a matter of being consistent with it.

See Your Doctor

While you’ll know how your body feels every day, it doesn’t always mean you know how healthy you are. Instead, you’ll have a general idea or not. That’s why it’s worth going out of your way to see your doctor every once in a while. It helps make sure you’re as healthy as you should be.

If you aren’t, your doctor should be able to catch potential issues early, helping avoid a lot of stress and hassle in time. Since an early diagnosis can be vital for more than a few conditions, it’s always worth getting regular checkups from your doctor.

It doesn’t take a lot to live a healthier life. Focusing on the right areas and being consistent should be more than enough to start off on the right foot. It shouldn’t have to be as hard as you’d think.

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Most people, myself included, are far more familiar with seeing Frida Kahlo’s face on everything from tea towels to tote bags than we are with her actual artwork.

The Tate Modern exhibition, Frida: The Making of an Icon, running from 25 June 2026 to 3 January 2027, aims to shift this perception by exploring her artwork and influence since her death. Breaking records as the Tate’s highest-pre-selling exhibition ever, with over 41,000 tickets sold, it reflects an unprecedented level of interest in the artist.

And yet it features just 33 works from the artist herself compared to around 200 from other artists who were inspired by her – including Tracey Emin and Ana Mendieta, both of whom have their own Tate exhibitions this year.

Early life

To understand this enduring icon, the exhibition first explores how her painting career actually began. Kahlo was an aspiring medical student at the elite Preparatoria in Mexico City, where she was one of only a small group of women.

During this time, she was part of an intellectual group of radical students, writers and poets known for causing trouble. Her journey into painting came at the age of 18 when she suffered a horrific accident when a tram she was riding was hit by a bus. Confined to her bed for over eight months, she turned to the canvas to express her reality, ultimately shaping her into the artist she later became.

A pivotal early work from this period of recovery is her 1926 Self-portrait in Velvet Dress (pictured above). Kahlo painted this work as a gift for her then-boyfriend, Alejandro Gómez Arias, who was about to embark on a trip to Europe that would keep him away for nearly a year. Beyond its personal sentiment as a “forget-me-not,” the painting highlights her early ambition. Though self-taught, she produced a sophisticated work that demonstrated her desire to be seen as an intellectual and an avant-garde painter.

Dressed in an open, low-cut velvet robe, she presents herself as a sensual woman while simultaneously signalling her deep knowledge of European art, specifically referencing the styles of Botticelli and Modigliani.

Limited works

However, visitors expecting a comprehensive retrospective may be surprised by the limited number of Kahlo’s own works on display. The exhibition features no more than 33 of her paintings – a notable decrease from the 80 works showcased in the Tate’s 2005 Kahlo exhibition.

Understandably, this has drawn criticism from many reviewers, including Chloë Ashby in The Independent who wrote “it’s hard not to feel cheated” when confronted with secondary reworkings, such as Rosalie Favell’s 2003 interpretation of Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair, in place of the originals.

Co-curator Tobias Ostrander explains that this scarcity is due to the difficulty of securing loans in the current climate. Kahlo is currently the world’s most expensive female artist at auction, with works like her 1940 piece El sueño (La cama) (The Dream) selling for $54.7m last year. Owners are increasingly protective, as evidenced by a collector who withdrew a promised loan upon falling ill because she felt she “couldn’t live without” her Frida.

Furthermore, conservation concerns regarding the delicacy of her works have led to protests against loaning them internationally, as seen with recent disputes in Mexico. Ostrander notes that this protective connection mirrors Kahlo’s own life, where her paintings served as “surrogate selves” to be with friends and lovers when her health prevented her from travelling.

Political convictions

Instead, the exhibition features 200 works by other artists to fill out the narrative, placing Kahlo’s influence in dialogue with her contemporaries and successors as her reputation grew following her death in 1954.

Nor does the exhbition shy away from the political convictions that coloured her life and work. As a committed communist, Kahlo’s home became a sanctuary for political refugees, most notably former Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky. Her relationship with the revolutionary, including a brief affair in 1937, adds layers of intrigue to her history, particularly as he lived under her roof before his eventual murder with an ice pick.

The narrative effectively traces her posthumous rise, specifically detailing how the US Chicana/o movement of the late 1960s adopted her as a symbol of cultural pride and political resistance. The exhibition reveals that she is as much a subject as she is a source of inspiration, with sections featuring the work of creators such as Nahúm B. Zenil, Georgina Quintana, Tracey Emin and Ana Mendieta. All of these artists utilised the visual language Kahlo pioneered to interrogate themes such as national ideals, patriarchal structures and gender norms.

Ultimately, Frida: The Making of an Icon asks how we might reframe her story for the modern world. As art historian Katy Hessel notes, Kahlo stands apart from historical female archetypes, such as Venus or the Virgin Mary, by crafting herself into an icon on her own terms.

By pairing her paintings with those of her contemporaries and successors, the exhibition demonstrates that Kahlo’s legacy isn’t just a historical footnote, but a force that continues to shape contemporary art. However, fans who are expecting to see more of her own artwork, and less of those from people she influenced, will be left feeling disappointed. 

RATING: 4/5

Frida: The Making of an Icon, is showing at Tate Modern London from 25 June 2026 to 3 January 2027

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