Immersive Frida Kahlo paints her way into a corner of Germania Place

Immersive Frida Kahlo brought out the festivities with a preview party on February 23. A mariachi band, an open bar and delicious Mexican food added to the special fiesta for the VIP guests that night. 

This exhibition is replacing the very successful Immersive Van Gogh at Lighthouse ArtSpace within Germania Club, 108 W. Germania Place. There were high expectations for the project after selling more than four million tickets during the previous endeavor. Van Gogh still haunts about half the gift shop after Kahlo has moved in with her merchandise for this transition. Visitors don't have to purchase a ticket to shop there and while her merch isn't cheap, it is something to treasure with some real rarities. The bar in the space is also open to the public and memorabilia including a back brace and glass-covered model of her home are on display to see. 

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon was a revolutionary Mexican painter known for injecting politics and pain into her art. She was eventually recognized for her achievements in feminism and the LGBTQ+ movement. Her fans continue to lovingly celebrate her work and legacy to this day. 

Immersive Frida Kahlo begins with a nod to the bus accident that transformed her life and art in an instant at the age of 18. The scenes on a loop continue to flow through colorful self-portraits of her and renderings of her husband Diego Rivera. If you have ever seen her original work, it is much smaller in size and scope than one would imagine. These massive projections certainly give her legacy the honor it deserves. 

The biggest elephant in the 500,00 cubic foot room is the music selections played during the projections. It was shocking that there is not a single Mexican artist featured on the soundtrack. Women singers such as vocalist Lila Downs would have been an obvious choice as she was featured in the 2002 Frida movie. Chavela Vargas singing "La Llorona" could have been tremendously effective and moving to pair with the projections. There are so many female Mexican performers that would have been more appropriate in this situation and were sadly overlooked by the clueless curators.  

Who thought Florence + the Machine's "Stand by Me" or Madonna's version "La Vie en Rose" were good ideas to accompany this artwork? No, it's not all right, Mamá, Elvis Presley doesn't belong in the building!

While the music wasn't in tune with Kahlo's gifts, the exhibit should be applauded for a strong force of women behind the scenes for the 360-degree digital experience. To celebrate International Women's Day a toast to Frida has been planned for Tuesday, March 8.

Date night and yoga classes will continue from Van Gogh's stint at Germania Place. More creative ideas for marketing will be coming in the next few months from the general website and on social media. The music is also in transition and I have been promised it will be adjusted to a more appropriate accompaniment. 

Immersive Friday Kahlo launches in Chicago on March 12 with seven North American museums planned for the spring and even more locations internationally. 

Seeing Kahlo's iconic art such as The Two Fridas and The Wounded Deer will simply take your breath away visually in this format at the Lighthouse ArtSpace, just plan on bringing your own playlist and headphones to be captivated audibly until the music is fixed. Visit Immersive-Frida.com for more information and tickets today.