Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Theatrically immersive art installations that transport visitors to inner- and outer-spaces: GARDEN OF EDEN & INTANGIBLE FORMS

• By drediman
• September 30, 2020
• No Comments

Currently on view in Chelsea are a pair of interactive art installations which rely heavily on theatrical immersion (e.g., via theatrical lighting, props, sets, and sound) to transport their visitors. In this age of COVID-19, both represent welcome, safe alternatives to traditional theatergoing.

Dark Matter Immersive’s “Garden of Eden” at the cell.

GARDEN OF EDEN
Dark Matter Immersive / the cell

In recent years, the folks at the cell have intrigued me with their out-of-the-box programming, particularly with respect to their efforts to marry visual and performing arts (Found, artist Mikel Glass’s hugely ambitious – and theatrical – residency quickly comes to mind). The space’s current tenant is Garden of Eden (RECOMMENDED), Dark Matter Immersive’s handcrafted, COVID-19-friendly reimagining of Adam and Eve’s original stomping ground. Rather than a literal manifestation, the installation that has taken over the second floor chambers of the former townhouse takes a more suggestive approach in depicting the biblical garden. Although the rooms are littered to the brim with triggering imagery, it’s nonetheless a calming, contemplative environment that for many will be a welcome retreat from their pandemic lives. The work invites participants to reflect on themselves, thereby creating a sort of personal narrative as they traverse through the garden’s nooks and crannies. Most prominently, it relies on Tarot symbols, as well as lightly probing interactive exercises, to guide this journey into one’s soul and psyche. It’s very likely that those who are resistant to such personal reflection will get much less out of Garden of Eden, so be prepared to open yourself up should you choose to pay a visit. The meditative hourlong exploration culminates in a virtual Tarot card reading with a remote “spiritual advisor”, which nicely summates the inward-looking experience.

Shohei Fujimoto’s “Intangible Forms” at Artechouse.

INTANGIBLE FORMS
Shohei Fujimoto / Artechouse

If Garden of Eden invites its visitors to focus inwardly, Shohei Fujimoto’s high-tech sculptural light installation Intangible Forms (RECOMMENDED), which is currently on view at Artechouse located in the bowels (i.e., former boiler room) of Chelsea Market, compels them to meditate outwardly on the cosmic awesomeness and mysteries of the universe at large. After a brief video introduction about the venue and its safety policy, visitors are led into a dimly-lit hall that houses the main installation (there are a number of less impressive side installations that I wouldn’t spend much time on). Immediately, I was mesmerized by the centerpiece’s technical brilliance and immersive presentation. The installation is basically comprised of  hundreds of intensely illuminated laser beams – each piercing through the darkness with scalpel-like exactness – that are programmed to move and are directed with an astonishing level of precision. The result is an organic progression of forms that hypnotizes the viewer over the course of the approximately 30-minute duration of the presentation, despite the absence of any discernible narrative. Additionally, the pulsating and moody sound design, which is perfectly timed with the laser beams’ choreography, further enhances what’s already a very immersive experience. For me, a sort of out-of-body experience ensued at some point during my viewing, at which point my consciousness melded into what I can only describe as some kind of singularity. As you can imagine, it was a visceral, almost overwhelming sensation.