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Lighthouse Immersive’s Open Spaces Serve as Digital Canvas
Walking up the stairs to Frida: Immersive Dream, we pass by a gift shop and lounge area featuring replicas of some of Frida’s outfits and her Blue House, on loan from the McAninch Arts Center exhibit. These destinations are a part of the Frida: Immersive Dream experience; however, it isn’t until we pass through a curtained entryway that we have arrived at the main event. Lighthouse Immersive’s massive, white-walled space on Germania Place—with a balcony and towering ceilings—strikes this reviewer as an ideal canvas for displaying Frida Kahlo’s work on such a large scale. There are also historical photographs and video of important people and moments in her life. Boasting over 1,000,000 frames of video and 500,000 cubic feet of art, the walls and floor become a blank slate for which to digitally showcase her work in 360 degrees.
This is Frida: Immersive Dream, a new, immersive, multimedia exhibition from the creatives behind Immersive Van Gogh, is a unique artistic experience. Using animated digital projections, it transforms the traditional gallery experience beyond the confines of a frame, splashing artwork and color across high walls in a large, warehouse-like space. Some might experience it as a supersized PowerPoint as it transforms the art show with aesthetics more akin to digital platforms such as Instagram/TikTok.
Frida: Immersive Dream Highlights History and Themes of Kahlo’s Work
Mesmerizing!
Layers and details that populate her canvases up-close-and-larger-than-life bring the complexity and talent behind Kahlo’s works into focus. Paired with motion and music, you, like this reviewer, may find yourself entranced.
While plenty of Kahlo’s paintings and portraits (including The Wounded Deer and Diego and I) form the foundation of the multimedia presentation, expect a short course on the impact Frida Kahlo has had on Mexico and beyond. This comes to you via the historical photographs and video highlighting important figures from her life like Diego Rivera as well as video clips of Mexican Communist Party protests.
If you’re someone who’s ever wondered what it might be like to travel back in time and fully immerse yourself in the life and work of a renowned artist, Frida: Immersive Dream offers a way to enrich your appreciation of an already great artist’s oeuvre. For fans of Frida Kahlo’s work or couples looking for an Instagram-worthy date, Frida: Immersive Dream is well worth considering. For this reviewer, Frida: Immersive Dream begs for multiple views to pick up on the multifaceted influences and obstacles that enriched Frida Kahlo’s art.
Recommended
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WHEN:
Thru May 28, 2022
WHERE:
Lighthouse Immersive
108 W Germania Place
Chicago, IL 60610
TICKETS:
$39.99+
For tickets and more information visit the Lighthouse Immersive webpages for Frida: Immersive Dream.
Photos courtesy of Lighthouse Immersive
About the Author: Brent Ervin-Eickhoff
Brent fell in love with storytelling as a 2nd grader, making a movie about wizards in his backyard with his mother's borrowed camcorder. Since then, he has worked on countless creative projects as a filmmaker, writer, and stage director. In all of his work, Brent's goal is to foster creative experiences that offer others a deeper understanding of the impact their choices have on the world around them.
When he isn't working on a creative project, Brent enjoys trying out new recipes, attending live concerts, and playing Ultimate Frisbee. While he wouldn't claim to be particularly athletic, competing in pick-up games where "spirit of the game" is just as important as skill is right up his alley.
Read more about him and other Picture this Post writers on the Picture this Post Masthead.
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