SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio's newest pop-up photo studio opening Friday is by far the Alamo City's most elaborate.
Wonder Chamber, located at 8800 Broadway Street, suite #116, features nearly a dozen themed exhibits for patrons to get their photoshoot on.
Born from the minds of local father-son duo Robbie Sanchez and Robert Sanchez, the immersive art exhibit has an assortment of colorful and colorless themed rooms.
Robbie Sanchez said he got the idea less than three months ago while reading an article about a Chicago art exhibit. With San Antonio's art scene growing by the day, he shared the idea with his father and the pair made the dream a reality in a span of seven weeks.
"What better way to help that wave of art and artists come to San Antonio than to start a pop-up museum?" Robbie said. "People can come in here, get creative with the rooms, interact with them and create art. That's what it's about."
Robbie, a photographer and musician by trade, put his creative juices to work and searched for room ideas on social media.
"A lot of people are taking pictures in arcades. A lot of people like bright, colorful candy, and so I put all of those ideas together and started mapping it out, laying it out, drawing it out and -- yeah," Robbie said.
Wonder Chamber offers the following themed exhibits:
- Viva Fiesta: This vibrant room features flower crowns, pinatas, confetti and papeles picados, perfect for your Fiesta pictures.
- Bubble Palace: You can take a dip in a tub of colorful, plastic balls and toss around plastic balloons.
- Arcade: The retro room is basically a scene out of "Stranger Things," complete with a pinball machine and a prize wall.
- Artist Gallery: The artist gallery features work by local artists.
- Blank Slate: There's no need to fret about dirtying the all-white room. They want you to leave your mark and provide stickers to mark your spot in the pristine room.
- Color Tunnel: The color-changing walkway leads the way to Cloud City.
- Cloud City: The interactive room allows patrons to take control of the lighting and switch through a variety of colors and scenarios, including a thunderstorm!
- Edison Garden: Edison Garden gives off Beyonce floral maternity shoot vibes. The room is covered in greenery from top to bottom, complete with a moss-covered chair.
- Bold as Red: The red room has somewhat functional instruments painted white, splattered with red paint.
- Candy Haven: Imagine Candy Land and Willy Wonka
- Infinity Room: The infinity room has mirrors on all sides of the room. The dark room features string lights, creating a visually stunning optical illusion of lights.
Friends and family worked non-stop for seven days, making the rooms picture perfect. With overhead studio lighting in almost every room, the exhibit is a photographer's dream.
Robbie's top three favorite rooms are Cloud City, Edison Garden and the Arcade Room.
While patrons get a map of the exhibit, the entrance to the hidden Infinity Room room isn't immediately apparent.
"I'll just say E.T. knows the way," Robbie said. "They've got to find it."
Tickets to Wonder Chamber are $28 for an hour of time at the venue.
Wonder Chamber's hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and Saturday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It will be open through the end of August.