Having a social media presence has become increasingly powerful in terms of brand identity, awareness and also, showing your followers all the cool stuff you’ve been up to. Instagram users will scroll through their feed at lightning speed, stopping only momentarily at the most stylish, vibrant and covetable accounts. But, at what cost does that epic Instagram post come at? Are those posting actually savoring each and every live moment, or are they just living for the ‘gram?
Artist Alexa Meade is optimistic that her newest 3-D live art exhibit dubbed Immersed In Wonderland will inspire people to feel something, touch something and experience something, rather than focusing on documenting everything. “People are able to rearrange set pieces to create their own environment. There are clothes, props, a baby grand piano that I painted and people can play. There is a lot of interactivity to it,” Meade says of the exhibit, open from November 15 to December 23. Located on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, the exhibit is open in part of the Beverly Hills BOLD Holidays programming.
Meade has made a name for herself in the art world by transforming people, places and things into colorful masterpieces that live and breathe. Most recently, Meade worked on singer Ariana Grande’s music video for “God Is a Woman” by decorating Grande in shades of lavender, blue and white while the songstress basked in a pool. The dynamic video garnered a ton of praise for the aesthetic along with the empowered message behind the song itself.
Keith Harrison Plays For Guests (Photo credit: Jenna Carlie for Alexa Meade Art)
While Meade has worked on a range of projects from music videos to exhibitions at the Grand Palais and the Pinacothèque de Paris, Immersed In Wonderland has a specific intention. With 3,000 square feet of space to fill, Meade says she ultimately knew that a bigger space meant for more impact, more colors on the wall and more art. “Real life experiences do get translated to social media but I want to create a space that you walk into and feel a sense of being surrounded by the artwork,” she says. “Of course you can see a video of someone playing a painting piano online but to feel the paint through your fingers and hear it reverberate around you is pretty magical.”
Keith Harrison Painted by Alexa Meade (Photo credit: Jenna Carlie for Alexa Meade Art)Alexa Meade Art
With experience doing interactive exhibits such as 29Rooms, Meade is realistic in that social media is a prominent tool for attendees to communicate with the world what they’re doing, but her goal is for people to truly focus on what they’re doing in the moment. “The spacial experience is important, not the image it gives you on social media,” she decides. With that, Meade chose to focus heavily on the various “moments” throughout the exhibit that people can savor. “I integrated so many more interactive elements into this exhibit. People can really explore and have it not just be about showing people the photos at the end, but the experience of being there.”
The opening night of Immersed In Wonderland transported VIP guests such as Lydia Hearst, Tom Payne and Debbie Matenopoulos to a colorful world filled with painted characters, furniture and more. Meade herself held a live painting demonstration during the evening, which she will repeat on November 30 and December 14, painting a new character each time. Inspired by artwork from the Renaissance, the Rodeo Drive space includes faux surfaces like marble, wood or even gold ornate carved details which Meade says are actually just yellow paint with glints of white highlights. “I’m just transforming this whole world into a luxurious time past,” she describes.
Lydia Hearst, Debbie Matenopoulos and Keith Harrison (Photo credit: Jenna Carlie for Alexa Meade Art)
Alexa Meade’s Immersed In Wonderland exhibition will be open from November 15 until December 23. Live performances will be held on November 30 and December 14 for guests to witness the creative process live and in real life.
262 N. Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Monday – Saturday: 12 to 8PM
Sunday: 12 to 6PM
