Experience a fairy tale in this interactive art installation in Fort Worth
October 9,2018
See full Dallas News article by Nataly Keomoungkhoun here.
At first glance, "Loop" looks like a set of new-age, Instagram-worthy sculptures that are tempting enough to jump through. But these sculptures aren’t just for climbing or jumps. They’re storytellers.
The brainchild of artists Olivier Girouard and Jonathan Villeneuve, "Loop" includes 12 stations that are best explained as “a cross between a music box, zoetrope and railway handcar.” Zoetropes are pre-film devices that spin to create an illusion of moving pictures. For "Loop" — essentially — giant zoetropes are turned on their sides.
A dozen of these giant cylinders sit in Burnett Park in downtown Fort Worth, and passers-by are welcome to sit inside and be immersed in each story. Sit alone or with a friend, pump the lever back and forth, and you'll watch a familiar story play in and outside of the loop. The lever also prompts a soft humming and strobe lights to flicker. The result is a short scene from stories such as Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk.
While the installation is available all day, the magic of the stories comes alive at night. The flickering lights and gentle whirring turn the fairy tales into something reminiscent of watching an old silent film in the middle of the city.
Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., an organization that aims to drive community engagement, brought "Loop" on its first visit to Texas. The installation premiered at a light festival in Montreal, and it's been traveling the world ever since.
The installation looks avant-garde, but the experience is anything but that. "Loop" brings together the past and future in one experience.
Details
Through Oct. 28, daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., at Burnett Park, 501 W. Seventh St., Fort Worth. Free admission. dfwi.org/about/our-events/LOOP.
Location Mentioned: Burnett Park