Hundreds of objects. More than twenty films. Interactive installations, photographs, sound and stories. Bringing Freddie to life in an exhibition was never going to be simple. Behind every display case lies years of planning, dozens of people and one guiding idea: change. Nobody knows this journey better than Freddie – The Exhibition curator Vazul Endre Mándli. In the interview below, he takes us behind the scenes of the project. To make it easier to follow, we have divided this interview into three sections: Personal Reflections, The Making of the Exhibition, and Experiencing the Exhibition.
Personal Reflections
If you could describe the making of this exhibition in just three words, what would they be?
I can do it in five: the only constant is change.
What detail of the exhibition are you most proud of?
The participation and support of the people who worked and lived with Freddie. They lend credibility to everything we tell. Their trust and willingness to share their experiences made this project truly authentic.
Were you a Queen fan before this project? Did your understanding of Freddie change along the way?
My sister, who is eight years older than me and practically raised me, was a member of the Queen fan club. So I had no choice but to listen to Queen constantly, long before I started playing music myself. Later, I became a musician, and it was only while creating this exhibition that I realised just how much Queen had influenced my own music. So yes, I was definitely a fan, even if I wasn’t consciously aware of it.
Photo Credit: Eduard Goričev/World of Freddie
The Making of the Exhibition
People often think only of the curators when they imagine creating an exhibition. Who else made this project possible?
Creatively, we’ve worked closely with architects and our graphic designer from the very beginning. The exhibition’s physical structure and visual identity are their work. I’d also highlight our studio department, which produced more than twenty videos that are essentially short documentary films, as well as our audiovisual and interactive programming teams, who brought the installations to life.
Then there is the building team, who spent five continuous months in the exhibition space constructing walls, installations, wiring, paintings and printed elements. Alongside all of this were countless other tasks: writing, proofreading, translating and typesetting texts, recording narration, designing and positioning objects, and perfecting the lighting. The list never really ends.
What took the longest: research, planning, logistics, writing or installation?
The planning phase, without question. Because of the exhibition’s complexity, we needed an incredibly detailed implementation plan before launching public procurement. Every nail and cable had to be defined down to the millimetre, alongside detailed 3D floor plans and designs. Of course, once construction begins, there are always challenges that nobody could have predicted.
Which part of the project was the most difficult to bring to life?
Every phase has its own critical points, but planning was particularly demanding. Every detail has to be fixed before construction begins. If you make a mistake at that stage, it affects everything that follows, causing delays or forcing solutions that have consequences throughout the project.
What turned out to be much harder than you expected?
The planning phase became more demanding because more and more of Freddie’s colleagues and friends joined the project, eager to contribute their perspectives and knowledge. It was incredibly positive, but every new detail had the potential to reshape the exhibition’s dramaturgy.
For example, having the opportunity to interview Freddie’s former classmates, like Tim Staffell, and pre-Queen bandmates, such as Chris Chesney, was extraordinary. But it also meant rethinking and adapting our plans to accommodate this new material.
Did anything have to be completely rethought during the process?
Absolutely. The exhibition constantly evolved as new people, stories and materials emerged. The challenge was remaining flexible enough to integrate these discoveries while preserving the overall narrative.
Were there any objects that became more important than you initially expected?
Definitely. More and more collectors joined the project and generously offered deeply personal pieces from their collections. Each object arrived with its own story, and those stories naturally found their way into the exhibition’s dramaturgy.
Photo Credit: Eduard Goričev/World of Freddie
Experiencing the Exhibition
What role did design play in telling Freddie’s story?
Design is one of the most important storytelling tools. The curatorial team worked with the graphic designer and architects from the very first moment. That core group of curators, architects and graphic designers shaped the exhibition together. Every discipline influences the others, so the final result is a truly interrelated collaboration.
How did you feel when the exhibition finally opened?
This was the most complex and one of the longest projects I’ve ever worked on. More than anything, I felt relieved… and incredibly satisfied.
If you could preserve only one part of the exhibition, which would it be?
Without hesitation, the Closing Chapter. It takes the form of a sound walk narrated by Peter Freestone, who shares memories of Freddie’s final weeks, days, and months. Walking through a labyrinth of long, semi-transparent curtains with only Peter’s words and music around you creates an incredibly intimate, pure and fragile experience. It is also the part of the exhibition I feel most personally connected to. Despite being the simplest and most minimalist section, it has the strongest emotional impact, and many visitors find themselves fighting back tears by the end of it.
Photo Credit: Eduard Goričev/World of Freddie
Is there one section you hope visitors spend more time with?
I hope they watch all of the videos. The interviews we conducted with Freddie’s colleagues and friends are priceless. Together with the original objects, they make the exhibition authentic.
Is there anything visitors might miss but really shouldn’t?
It’s impossible to absorb everything in a single visit because the exhibition is incredibly rich. There are more than 500 original items, digital collections, a dozen interactive installations, over twenty specially produced films, more than 250 photographs, an audio narrative and extensive texts written from a music history perspective.
Everyone will find their own path through the exhibition… and I honestly believe you need to come back two or three times to experience it fully.
Photo Credit: Eduard Goričev/World of Freddie
More Than an Exhibition
In many ways, this exhibition mirrors Freddie himself. It is layered, emotional, playful and constantly changing. It combines spectacle with intimacy and grand moments with deeply personal stories.
Perhaps that is why one answer stays with you long after reading the interview:
“The only constant is change.”
Behind every object and every room lies a process that never stood still, shaped by countless people who all shared the same goal: not simply to tell the story of Freddie, but to let visitors feel, for a few hours, that they have stepped into his world.
With World of Freddie, you get much closer — not only to the legend, but to the man behind it all.
👉 Follow World of Freddie on social media for behind-the-scenes stories and updates on upcoming events.