Image source: Cointelegraph
Frida Kahlo is one of the most influential surrealists and feminists in history, and her unpublished works will be incorporated into the metaverse.
The works of Frida Kahlo and the metaverse
Frida Kahlo’s family has published pieces and memorabilia of the renowned artist that have eluded public view for years.
The content appeared in an exhibit during the third annual Metaverse Art Week at Decentraland, August 24-28.
Once the exhibition is over, the artworks and memorabilia will become an integral part of the metaverse.
The project is a collaboration between the Kahlo family and Ezel.life, who shared that they found 800 different sketches, original artwork, and other objects used in Frida Kahlo’s daily life.
Each piece is scanned with high resolution image capture tools that require at least 30 different images and videos.
The Red House
Fans of the painter’s works can experience the art in a digital replica of the “Red House.”
The Red House is an imitation of the Kahlo family’s Red House in Mexico City.
Users can stroll through the rooms to see the artworks and read personal anecdotes told by close relatives.
The rooms of the house represent the lesser-known parts of Frida Kahlo’s life.
They show what the artist’s life was like before his infamous relationship with fellow Mexican painter Diego Rivera.
The real Red House is a private family home, but they don’t want to turn it into a museum.
Meanwhile, Casa Azul, the Blue House, is used as a museum, welcoming more than half a million visitors each year before the pandemic.
Ezel.life
The recording of Frida Kahlo’s metaverse was made possible by Ezel.life, a leading digital asset company.
The company is focused on maximizing the value of original artwork.
Luke McFarlane, co-founder of Ezel, shared his enthusiasm for the project, saying:
“The first 20 years will be represented in this house. It sets up a lot of her struggles and adversities, but also her drive and passion for life; between polio, coming of age, and a major bus accident.”
The hesitation of the family
The project has always aimed to preserve the works of one of the most iconic painters in history, but the Kahlo family initially had reservations.
According to Pedro Quinzaños Cancino, a friend of the Kahlo family and co-founder of Ezel, the family was reluctant to release any personal information to the public.
“When I started talking to Mara [the great-grand niece of Frida Kahlo], there was some resistance from the family,” shared Cancino.
Their hesitation was suppressed due to the pandemic and private developments within the family, and they harnessed technological innovation to keep the stories alive.
Cancino found the opportunity with blockchain and said:
“Blockchain is a perfect tool to really lock in the real story from the family and get it out there without having any type of changes from the media or third party.”
The metaverse
Although the metaverse has been met with quite a bit of criticism, it cannot be denied that it may be useful for the preservation of art.
Metaverse technology and interactive experiences create opportunities for new engagement with the works of Frida Kahlo.
However, image quality and avatars in the Metaverse remain an issue, along with other events such as Metaverse Fashion Week at Decentraland.
Ezel’s team is working to fix the issue, but is currently focusing on storytelling and archiving to allow users to interact with culture and art.
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