Bringing Frida Kahlo’s Garden to Life through Bloomberg Connects

By the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts team

Through funding and support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, as part of the Bloomberg Connects program, the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) has created a unique mobile experience for visitors to engage with its new FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life exhibition.

For FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life, visitors are able to access a multimedia guide on their personal mobile devices to help them explore Kahlo’s home in Mexico City – the Casa Azul, through images, audio content and videos; and to learn about the plant life depicted in her paintings. Inspired by Kahlo’s self-portraits, visitors will also be able to transform their selfies into Kahlo inspired portraits, which they can share through social media and will be compiled on NYBG’s social platforms.

The exhibit examines Kahlo’s perspective on beauty and the natural world, as evidenced by her surroundings, as well as the complex-use of plant imagery in her work. Featuring a one-of-a-kind display of several original Kahlo paintings and works on paper, the six-month exhibit reimagines Kahlo’s famed garden and studio at Casa Azul.

The NYBG is part of Bloomberg Connects, a Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative that supports the development of digital programs at cultural institutions around the world to transform the visitor experience both on and offsite.

Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported other digital projects at the NYBG including the mobile app for Groundbreakers: Great American Gardens and The Women Who Designed Them in 2014, and the Wild Medicine exhibition app in 2013. Both apps are available for free download to iOS-enabled smart phones and tablets on Apple’s iTunes.