Immersive Frida: A Truly Unique Experience

“Our goal is to give our viewers more than an examination of her work; we also hope they will leave with a richer understanding of the smart, complex woman who created these timeless masterpieces,” —Lighthouse Immersive co-founder Svetlana Dvoretsky in a statement.

On my Instagram feed recently, I’ve been bombarded with a continuous stream of advertisements for the pop-art immersive exhibitions that are presently sweeping the globe.

Since the “Immersive Frida Kahlo” show is now on tour at the Lighthouse Artspace Dallas, and my family was in Dallas for the weekend, we took advantage of the chance to see if it lived up to the hype.

There is also a certain allure to witnessing works of art while simultaneously understanding that they won’t be there forever.

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist who began painting primarily self-portraits after being badly injured in a bus accident. Later, Kahlo became politically active and married fellow communist artist Diego Rivera in 1929. Before her death in 1954, she exhibited her paintings in Paris and Mexico.

Tickets and Background

General admission tickets start at $40. There is a $15 upcharge for weekend availability as well as premium and VIP packages.

Buying a general admission ticket merely lets you in the door to look around. On the other hand, the premium package includes a Frida cushion rental and a poster. The VIP package includes a poster, lanyard, and the option to retain the Frida cushion that premier package purchasers must return.

Fortunately for us, premium tickets could be purchased on the spot.

The show is 42 minutes long, and it is recommended that you watch it twice to get the whole experience.

The touring Kahlo exhibition is the latest offering from producer Massimiliano Siccardi, who was behind the successful “Immersive Van Gogh” and “Immersive Klimt: Revolution.”

The touring experiential art exhibit is characterized as a peek into the Mexican artist’s life as well as a tribute to Frida Kahlo’s Mexican culture.

Frida Kahlo’s artwork, family pictures, and historical scenes from her life are featured in the 360-degree digitally projected film. These original films, video projections, and digital works are projected onto the gallery’s walls, ceiling, and floors.

Motion and music are used to supplement the imagery in the immersive experience. Visitors may experience a sense of motion in some circumstances.

Kahlo’s paintings are rich with unique undertones, which permeate the exhibition.

While the presentation is intriguing to see, there is no instructional component to help you if you are unfamiliar with Kahlo’s life. As a result, anyone wishing to see the show should prepare by researching Kahlo ahead of time to grasp the art presentation remotely.

The show includes replicas of masterpieces such as The Two Fridas, The Wounded Deer, and Diego and I.

“I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.” — Frida Kahlo

Immersive Frida

We entered the first display room when the exhibition was already in progress.

The area was reasonably crowded, with masked individuals seated on floor cushions and ottomans scattered throughout.

Set to music, Kahlo’s artworks were brought to life on a large scale. The program looped indefinitely.

Still, we were underwhelmed by the first 15 minutes of the presentation. The space was tiny, and while the experience was intense, the presentation felt random and difficult to follow.

We went into the next room because we wanted to observe the show from all angles and perspectives. We were pleasantly delighted when we did so.

The same performance was still playing on loop; however, the room was larger, with chairs strategically placed around the space, creating a more immersive experience.

We found some unoccupied chairs and watched for 15 minutes before heading upstairs to the balcony.

We were the only ones on the balcony, save for a young couple.

The balcony was an excellent location for seeing the show and photographing the moving visuals. It was fun to walk among 360-degree interpretations of Kahlo’s paintings.

Because of the music and the excellent way they employ technology, there was a time in the presentation when you may become dizzy if you are prone to motion sickness.

The last room included large mirror sculptures in the center of the area, and we finished by strolling around while watching the performance.

Closing Thoughts

I recommend going to at least one such immersive pop-up art installation. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill art shows.

It is a great way to learn about renowned artists’ legacies while experiencing their works in enveloping,360-degree art exhibits.

These exhibits are unquestionably unlike anything you have ever seen.

The Lighthouse Immersive and Impact Museums-created experience will tour nine U.S. cities in 2022. The dates of the pop-ups may be found here.

A version of this story originally appeared on NewsBreak.