Frida Kahlo’s otherworldly, folk art–style works have captivated audiences ever since she began painting at the age of 18 after a devastating bus accident in 1925 left her bedridden for months and in chronic pain for the rest of her life. Kahlo’s extensive oeuvre (including her striking self-portraits characterized by her bold, signature unibrow) is seemingly becoming more and more popular each year and can be found on everything from postcards to socks. In fact, Kahlo’s Diego and I recently sold this November for $34.9 million—the most a Latin American artwork has ever fetched at auction.
Now, fans of Kahlo will get the chance to become completely enveloped in the magical realist’s art and life with two different immersive exhibits.
Of Kahlo’s 143 paintings, 55 are self-portraits.
Courtesy of Lighthouse Immersive
1. Frida: Immersive Dream
This spring, Frida: Immersive Dream, will open in seven North American museums. Created by the same team who brought the hugely popular Immersive Van Gogh to life, Frida: Immersive Dream explores the life and best known works of Kahlo in seven cities: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and Toronto. The exhibit will feature 500,000 cubic feet of projections and 1.2 million frames of video. At the show, visitors can expect to see some of her most recognizable works like The Two Fridas (1939), Self-Portrait on the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States (1932), and The Wounded Deer (1946). In addition to her paintings, photographs of Kahlo and the people who influenced her, like her husband Diego Rivera, will also be on display.
Though it’s been finely honed and updated by modern technology, there’s nothing new about the immersive art experience—Yayoi Kusama has been dazzling the art world with her signature, “self-obliterating” Infinity Mirror Rooms since the ’60s. The images and video depicting Kahlo’s life in Frida: Immersive Dream were brought to life by Italian digital artist Massimiliano Siccardi, whose work will be accompanied by musical scores composed by Luca Longobardi. Image projections will be shown on architectural canvas for clean, crisp images, while high-quality sound systems will provide the music.
Tickets for Frida: Immersive Dream are now on sale and begin at $40 with flexible date and time options.
Boston
When: February 10 through May 8, 2022
Where: Lighthouse ArtSpace at the Castle
Buy Tickets: Prices start at $40 for adults, immersive-frida.com/boston
Chicago
When: February 24 through May 28, 2022
Where: Lighthouse ArtSpace at Germania Club
Buy Tickets: Prices start at $40 for adults, immersive-frida.com/chicago
Dallas
When: February 3 through April 17, 2022
Where: Lighthouse ArtSpace Dallas
Buy Tickets: Prices start at $40 for adults, immersive-frida.com/dallas
Denver
When: March 3 through May 30, 2022
Where: Lighthouse ArtSpace Denver
Buy Tickets: Prices start at $40 for adults, immersive-frida.com/denver
Houston
When: February 17 through April 17, 2022
Where: Lighthouse ArtSpace Houston
Buy Tickets: Prices start at $55 for adults, immersive-frida.com/houston
Los Angeles
When: March 31 through June 11, 2022
Where: Lighthouse ArtSpace Los Angeles
Buy Tickets: Prices start at $40 for adults, immersive-frida.com/losangeles
Toronto
When: March 31 through May 29, 2022
Where: Lighthouse Artspace Toronto
Buy Tickets: Prices start at $40 for adults, immersive-frida.com/toronto
Though Kahlo enjoyed moderate fame in Mexico during her lifetime, her popularity skyrocketed after her death.
Courtesy of Lighthouse Immersive
2. Mexican Geniuses: A Frida and Diego Immersive Experience
Coproduced by Fever, the global entertainment discovery platform that created such exhibitions as Candlelight Concerts, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, and Stranger Things: The Experience, the new Mexican Geniuses: A Frida and Diego Immersive Experience takes a deep dive into the world of Kahlo and Rivera with over 300 projections and the latest video-mapping technology. The exhibitions in two cities will take place in spacious venues with plenty of room for visitors to enjoy the art at a safe distance and at their own leisure.
In addition to the immersive art experience, Mexican Geniuses also offers guests the opportunity to experience Kahlo’s and Rivera’s art in virtual reality with the use of headsets. Guides and other educational material will be available for visitors to learn more about the two artists’ influences, and there’ll even be interactive workshops for younger guests.
London
When: From April 2022. Exhibition hours will take place on weekdays 10 a.m.–8 p.m. and on weekends and holidays 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
Where: A secret location in London (to be announced soon)
Buy Tickets: Prices start at $27, feverup.com
Washington, D.C.
When: From May 2022. Exhibition hours will take place on weekdays 10 a.m.–8 p.m. and on weekends and holidays 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
Where: A secret location in Washington, D.C. (to be announced soon)
Buy Tickets: Prices start at $36, feverup.com
This article was originally published on December 16, 2021; it was updated on January 7, 2021 with additional information.
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