Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography

Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican artist. An immersive art exhibition showcasing her life and work is at the PNE Agrodome in Vancouver in 2023.

EXHIBITION CANCELLED!

As of April 14th, 2023, the Vancouver edition of Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography has been cancelled. The exhibition was going to start on May 3rd, but not anymore.

Due to logistical issues and challenges with time constraints, the exhibition isn’t able to take place in Vancouver this spring as originally planned. People who have already paid for admission can get a refund from wherever they purchased their tickets originally or through the TicketLeader website at ticketleader.ca.

Whether the exhibition is able to come to Vancouver at a later date in the future is to be determined. Maybe yes, maybe not.

Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography

Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography was going to be the latest touring exhibition to visit the Lower Mainland. This new multidimensional experience features the work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Worldwide, she is one of the most famous painters of the 20th century. Her husband, Diego Rivera, was also a famous and very popular Latin American artist.

Frida Kahlo: An Immersive Biography

When and Where?

Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography was going to open in Vancouver in 2023 on May 3rd and then continue until July 23rd. That, however, is no longer the case. The Vancouver edition of the exhibition has been cancelled.

The exhibition was going to be closed on Mondays but run on all other days of the week. Hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays were going to be from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. It was going to be open from 10:00 am until 7:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, so for two hours longer. Tickets were for set times at 20 minute intervals.

Until it got cancelled, the immersive experience was going to take place at the PNE Agrodome located at 2901 East Hastings Street in the City of Vancouver.

Frida Kahlo in Vancouver

What to Expect

Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography is “a unique combination of digital experiences, historical photographs, souvenirs and art installations.” There are images of the Mexican artist’s paintings projected creatively all around on the walls and floors of the exhibition rooms. The show also features new music and general information about the artist and her art.

Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography presents stories about Frida Kahlo’s love of art, her country and husband. There is an informational introductory area followed by “an immersive experience”. There is also an optional virtual reality station. In total, organizers expect the exhibition to take up to about 90 minutes for people to see and experience everything. See further below to learn more about Frida Kahlo’s life and style of art.

Admission Details

General admission was going to range between about $21.00 and $52.50 (plus taxes and fees) depending on your age and the day you wanted to go. The virtual reality experience cost extra. There were also VIP tickets which included admission, the VR experience and a gift.

As of early April 2023, ticket prices were going to be approximately the following (plus between about $3.00 and $9.00 per person in online fees):

Adults – $42.00 to $52.50
Students – $36.75 to $47.25
Children (ages 5 to 12y) – $21.00 to $42.00
Infants & Toddlers (ages 4 and under) – free
VIP Tickets – $93.45 to $103.95
Families (of 2 Adults + 2 Children) – $100.80 and $144.00

Tickets cost less on weekdays and more on weekends.

Click Frida Kahlo Vancouver for tickets and full details about the exhibition.

Frida Kahlo Art Exhibition

About Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo lived from 1907 until 1954. She was born in Mexico City which is where she remained for most of her life. Frida enjoyed art from an early age, but didn’t consider making it a career until later in life.

At just 18 years old, Frida suffered serious injuries in a bus accident. While in bed for months following the incident, she began to paint. She slowly developed a liking for portraits and paintings about identity. After marrying Diego Rivera, she became inspired by Mexican art. She spent some time in the United States, which is where she continued painting and contributed to an exhibition for the first time.

Frida continued to experience other health troubles, a divorce and a reconciliation back in Mexico. At times she turned to drugs and alcohol. She produced plenty of paintings based on her struggles and gained more and more attention in the world of art.

Frida had multiple surgeries in the 1940’s as her health deteriorated even further. She attended her first solo exhibition in Mexico while lying down on a bed. Frida didn’t live long enough to see just how famous she would become. Her childhood home in Mexico City is now a museum with various exhibitions and collections dedicated to her life.

About Frida Kahlo’s Art

Frida Kahlo is often described as a surrealist, although she might not have considered herself to be one. As an artist she mixed surrealism, realism and fantasy. She was also influenced by symbolism, Cubism, Mexican Indigenous culture, nature and her own personal experiences with chronic pain. Her oil paintings, many of which were portraits and self-portraits, are famous for their colours and symbolic subject matter.

Over the course of her life Frida painted between 150 and 200 paintings. The exact number is unknown. Some of her most famous works include The Two Fridas, The Wounded Deer, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, and the Henry Ford Hospital.

Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait Diego y Yo sold for close to $35 million in 2021, making it the most expensive painting by a Latin American artist ever. The previous record, interestingly, was held by The Rivals which was painted by her husband, Diego Rivera.

Frida Kahlo Art Exhibition in Vancouver