The Exploratorium’s dazzling holiday light show returns with artworks by seven artists
Sound Sculpture by MASARY Studios. Photo by Aram Boghasian.
SAN FRANCISCO (October 2, 2023) – The Exploratorium’s annual celebration of luminous artworks, Glow: Discover the art of light, returns to Pier 15 on November 16, 2023 with new works for all ages to enjoy. Compose music with light, touch quantum physics, play LED dungeon crawlers, unveil hidden crystals, see yourself in mechanical mirrors, and more! Presented in partnership with U.S. Bank, this radiant seasonal expansion of the museum’s exhibits on light runs through January 28, 2024.
“At the Exploratorium, art and science intersect as essential ways we humans perceive and investigate our world,” said Allison Roach, Project Director of Temporary Exhibitions. “We’re thrilled to showcase this collection of work by seven artists who illuminate the power of light to connect, reveal and inspire, and offer special programs for kids and adults.”
“We are proud to partner with the Exploratorium to help bring this year’s Glow exhibit to Bay Area residents and visitors this holiday season,” said Carl Jordan, California Branch & Small Business Banking regional executive for U.S. Bank. “At U.S. Bank, our North Star is powering the potential of our clients and communities, and a big piece of that is helping consumers and business owners get back to what matters most – creating lasting memories with friends and family.”
Among the large-scale light and sound installations: Sound Sculpture by MASARY Studios and Flux by Collectif Scale. Build dynamic musical compositions by moving Sound Sculpture’s portable location-aware cubes around, changing the rhythm and pitch as the cubes shift. Meanwhile, the Exploratorium is pleased to present the U.S. premiere of Flux, which showcases 48 twirling rods of white light that appear to twist and coil – put on a headset to immerse yourself in synchronized compositions by Grégory Sémah.
You’ll also experience interactive artworks by Robin Baumgartner, including Quantum Jungle, a mathematically accurate model of a quantum object, and Line Wobbler, a challenging LED dungeon crawl-type game where hand-eye coordination is key. Crystal Paintings by Maria Constanza Ferreira reveals the hidden, brilliant patterns found in crystals, and you can also view a selection of Ferreira’s short films in the Osher Gallery 1 Microcinema.
Exploratorium visitors may already be familiar with works by Daniel Rozin, whose Self-Centered and Self-Isolating Mirrors have been activating the museum’s floor for years. Glow also features three pieces from Rozin’s Mechanical Mirrors series – RGB Lights Mirror, CMY Shadows Mirror, and the debut of One Candle Mirror – in which he investigates viewer participation and image creation by means of reflection.
Chaco Kato’s Color Study makes its U.S. premiere and features constantly changing colors and geometric patterns projected onto a solid but seemingly weightless artwork made of thousands of pieces of string. Rounding out the artwork is a returning Glow favorite: Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon, which shows every cliff and crater of the moon at an approximate scale of 1:700,000.
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