When I saw the ad for a Frida Kahlo Immersive in Chicago I perked up and paid attention. I have enjoyed the Immersive experiences I have had in Paris and Tokyo. Why not Chicago, closer to home?
It also seemed like it would be a cool thing to do with my daughter, who had a major in Spanish in college and might find the world renown Mexican artist to be compelling .
The Immersives, which are popping up all around the country are also intriguing to me. Is this the future of art? A way for to capture the attention of an audience not comfortable with the current Art Scene—museums and galleries.
The Future of Art?
Could going to a large space and being surrounded by sound, sights and moving imagery be an entry to the traditional art world or simply another source of entertainment for a video hungry audience?
This experience was held in Germania Place, which seems to have been reinvented as a destination in Chicago for Immersives although a recent check on Google says it is “Permanently Closed.” It included the exhibition space, but also a store and a cocktail area.
Freda Kahlo, an artist from Mexico City, began her career as “The wife of Diego Rivera,” the Mexican artist who put large scale murals on the map. Often now he is referred to as “Frida Kahlo’s Husband.” She is considered to be the most significant woman artist of the 20th century. Her work gained some prominence while she was alive, but has zoomed to stratospheric heights since her death in the 50’s.
We went on a Sunday morning, a quieter time in the museum world. The rooms, in the Germani Place near the Lincoln Park Zoo, came alive with images of Frida’s life and her work.
She is particularly known for her self-portraiture. Out of the 143 works, 57 are self portraits. Part of the reason is that she struggled with multiple health issues so she was alone and in bed much of her life. Her art became a way to express what was happening to her and how she felt about it.
Frida is known to have said, “I leave you my portrait so that you will have my presence all the days and nights that I am away from you.”
For example, in 1946 Frida Kahlo had an operation on her spine in New York. She was hoping this surgery would free her from the severe back pain she constantly experienced, but it failed. The Wounded Deer painting expressed her disappointment towards the operation.
I feel like the the Immersive presentation reflects one of her quotes: “Nothing is absolute . Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves , everything flies and goes away. “ I like that quote. Feels very Buddhist to me.
I do wonder what she’d think of her work and life being presented this way.
Visual Challenge
I find that trying to create still images out of all moving light and video is an absorbing challenge. I see something every minute from every direction. I loved the opportunity to create what looks like a multiple exposure.
It was a lot of fun to head to the mezzanine to look down in one of the three areas where one could experience the art and life of Frida Kahlo.
If you like Frida Kahlo, I highly recommend watching the movie about her life available on Netflix. I was Wowed by the scenes of her entry into one-woman show in Mexico City. I didn’t see this portrayed in the Chicago Immersive, but it was probably there.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120679/
Looking ahead?
Step inside a Frida Kahlo Painting?
Is this how we’ll experience the artists of the future.
Could be.
Comments
3 CommentsRuth Butler
Oct 3, 2022Thank you, Susan, for this glimpse of Frida Kahlo. I am not that familiar with her work, but your words and photos lured me in. Such an interesting way to experience art.
Susan J. Smith
Oct 3, 2022Thank you, Ruth, I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I highly suggest you start with the movie about there and then go from there. She’s a complex and interesting artist. Worth learning about.
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