Bold art murals, neon lights, colorful costumes and more drew social media lovers in droves to a new kind of art display in Dallas like moths attracted to a light. Between 7,000 to 8,000 visitors visited an immersive art gallery called Psychedelic Robot at Hotel Crescent Court in a span of nine days in September.
The reception of the gallery was immense and powered by social media buzz, so the show-runners decided to extend the pop-up museum for six more weeks until Nov. 15.
The immersive art gallery is a field day for the eyes that many will remember long after they’ve left. It’s the second gallery of its kind this year in Dallas. Immersive galleries are meant to be enjoyed as art and Instagrammable backdrops for selfies. Guests are allowed to touch the art and snap pictures to fill their social media feed.
Tickets are $35 each for an hour and the philanthropic beneficiary for the project is Klyde Warren Park.
Each scene has a different vibe and style -- you can choose to be in a graffiti backdrop with spray paint cans sprawled on the ground or take a selfie with a simple pink piano. [[500138331,C]]
"It's definitely a cool feeling seeing all the posts and how they incorporate [my art] into photos," artist not.Travis said.
There's “Wishlandia” -- a place where gallery-goers write their wishes on paper tied to the wishing trees and read all the wishes of those who came before.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
One read, “I wish I was a better dancer,” with a second wish attached saying, “I wish you were too.” [[500143441,C]]
Bivins Gallery owner Michael Bivins says he has has already been invited to do in national and international art installation because of the positive reception of Psychedelic Robot.
"We're all about the art," Bivins said. "This is an art show, it's just a different way to show it. It's a different way to experience it."
This exhibit spread like wildfire on social media, similar to other immersive art galleries in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Bivins mentioned how Dallas's art scene is really up-and-coming and he and the other artists are just riding the wave, he said. [[500143391,C]]
“It's been crazy, we didn't really know how Dallas would receive something quite like this so it was real kind of experiment because we were very excited about it," Bivins said. "Dallas is like going through this phenomenal growth in the art scene and we actually think this might be one of the best places to be in the business we're in."
Psychedelic Robot was spearheaded by the Westwood Group and created by the Bivins Gallery, which has been at Hotel Crescent Court for two years. At the entrance of Psychedelic Robot, pieces of colorful fabric hangs from ceiling like a Willow tree, a part of nature that inspired artist Sunny Sliger with Color Condition. She was also behind an art installation that draped across a highway in downtown Houston and survived through Hurricane Harvey. [[500143671,C]]
"The art works with nature and reacts to it. You don't have control of the elements," Sliger said. "We felt heartache and intense emotions [after the hurricane hit]."
She gathers fabrics from miscellaneous things anywhere she can and she uses them in her woven art. She makes artistic costumes, “sweaters for buildings” as she calls it and other jumbo-sized public art displays.
"Art is fun, it's playful," Sliger said. "It's meant to be exciting and engaging."
One thing artists heard from attendees is that Psychedelic Robot is less intimidating for those who want to experience art. Galleries can be often frigid, but these artists wanted attendees to touch the art, interact with it and experience it.
Their goal is to make art accessible for all. Bivins noted parents have brought their children who are given the freedom to explore and play -- just as much as the adults are.
