“Experience the Dazzling Magic of Light at Exploratorium’s ‘Glow’ Interactive Art Showcase!”

Art, science, and technology stretch the limits of perception in striking, immersive installations at the Exploratorium’s yearly “Glow” showcase, available until Jan. 26 in San Francisco.

Engaging and suitable for all ages, “Glow” features classic favorites alongside eight new artworks that are enjoyable, captivating for visitors with diverse interests, and interactive, letting guests investigate the displays at their own pace.

Artist Zach Lieberman, who defines his approach as “poetic computations,” has contributed “Sketches,” an exploration of light, shadow, refraction, and illumination; as well as “Reflection Studies,” which invites individuals to engage with typography and graphic design by “painting text” on a wall.

Allison Roach, the Exploratorium’s Director of Temporary Exhibitions, describes the two pieces as complementary: “‘Sketches’ is enchanting, meditative. At times, the visuals don’t even appear digitally created. [Lieberman] manipulates reflections and shadows, making them start to resemble reality. By employing algorithms to set rules governing light, color, and shadows, they depict scenes that may evoke reflections you’ve encountered elsewhere. With his additional exhibit, you position letters and forms on an interactive light table that a camera detects and projects onto the wall. It presents a large-scale, playful chance to act as a graphic designer.”

“Light Lilies” by Collective Paper Aesthetics features a static sculpture and an interactive zone. Guests are encouraged to design their own pop-up structures after admiring an 8.85-foot sculpture composed of 36 illuminated bilunabirotunda. (A bilunabirotunda is a polyhedron consisting of eight equilateral triangles, four pentagons, and two squares, with 26 edges and 14 vertices where three or more edges converge.)

“You can fold, create, and stack bilunabirotunda to invoke variations in light. They feature LEDs that respond to magnets, enabling you to alter three distinct colors. It offers multiple avenues for everyone. I’ve witnessed toddlers use it–and participants of every age enjoying it,” Roach states.

“Well of Lights,” a returning piece (showcasing projected floating elements made with layers of plastic sheets and strobe lights), excites Roach and the team. It’s by Toshio Iwai, who was an artist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in 1992.

The piece presented specific challenges, as Iwai utilized outdated computer and projector technology to create its marine and avian-like visuals.

“It’s beautiful and a longstanding favorite,” Roach mentions, adding, “We managed to restore the work in collaboration with him. … We exist in a digital realm, and this fusion of a mechanical work and visual animation mirrors what we hold in our pockets through our phones. It’s wonderful to experience these delightful moments of astonishment and admiration.”

Another feature of “Glow” is the Light Lab, a gallery dedicated to exhibit prototypes from Exploratorium staff. “We have concepts inspired by what our development team observes,” explains Roach, a former science major who previously worked with arts organizations before leading new initiatives at the Exploratorium. Her initial encounter with the San Francisco science center occurred during an environmental program she participated in. She recalls, “Right away, I sensed that it was crafted for a broad audience, showcasing a fantastic blend of artworks and hands-on activities.”

Anticipating future Exploratorium programs, Roach highlights a mini exhibition set for spring that will serve as a platform for deeper explorations focused on outer space and a summer display about artificial intelligence. Other ongoing projects at the Exploratorium, like “Cells to Self,” delve into microbiology, while the large-scale “Living Systems” showcases discoveries related to climate change, environmental concerns, and human physiological and social phenomena.

“Glow” runs until Jan. 26 at The Exploratorium, Pier 15, Embarcadero at Green Street, San Francisco. Entry is priced at $30-$40. Visit exploratorium.edu.

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Copyright © 2024 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, rebroadcast, or any form of reuse without the explicit written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.