SHIFT: A NEW MEDIA EXHIBIT

Chicago-based artist Luftwerk, who illuminated Chicago's landmark, The Bean, last winter, has a new exhibit in Chicago Cultural Center’s Chicago Room. Located on the north side of the 2^nd floor are three rooms: Spectrum, Synthesis and Threshold. Each room integrates color, light and material through video projection. The concept of how light creates imagery based on how it is placed and reflects on is fascinating. The exhibit looks very simple, but sometimes simplicity shows off its complexity and beauty.

The first room is called spectrum. By entering the doorway it is unclear if it’s an entrance to the exhibit or a part of the exhibit. Music plays to set the mood similar to a séance room. The music brings out emotions of relaxation and peace. It is very soothing. At the same time the music is playing, there is a light show on the wall. It looks like a wall of paint swatches of all shades of the rainbow molding into a mosaic. The movement of the images moves fast enough that the squares blend into a blob. The blob goes from colorful to dark. It is very swift, giving of a meaning that could mean renewal or rebirth from the pureness of light to the darkness to light again.

The second room is Synthesis. Three projections from three angles of the room hit a white floor. The space is open making the visitors that walk on the floor the object of the art piece. Visitors become the piece of art by the light reflecting off making the shadows colorful. Luftwerk’s idea of working with light makes the visitor feel intrigued because being the art piece makes it personal. Many visitors were taking photos on their smartphones of the result of their shadows color and size.

The third room is Threshold. This is what makes the exhibit look the most simple. The room is black and white lines. The way it is set up is an illusion keeping the thought that there is another room, but there is not. The lines may make visitors feel a bit dizzy, but the simplicity gives the option of analysis or boring. When there’s analysis it can be viewed for the basics. Black and white are the main colors to make colors; therefore, how simple it looks is enlightening. Everything started black and white from television to point of views, everything in life has a positive and negative. In this room reflection may be its key meaning, exactly like the first room, spectrum. Like all art, the meaning comes from the viewer’s embracement to what can guide the artwork to be historic.

All three rooms, loop in a circle because to exit the exhibit the visitors have to go through all the other rooms again. It starts with a positive and colorful image and lead in a different direction then goes back to the colors. This exhibit is enlightening because it gives visitors the opportunity to reflect when letting the space speak.

SHIFT: A New Media Exhibit by Luftwerk, will be at the Chicago Cultural Center until January 5^th, 2014. Admission is free and open 7-days a week, except holidays.