Houston’s Convention Center Campus Hosts LOOP Public Art Installation
December 11, 2018
Houston First Corporation (HFC) is continuing to reinvigorate Houston’s convention center campus and the city’s Downtown area with its latest public art installation, LOOP.
A cross between a music box, a zoetrope and a railway handcar, LOOP is a retro-futuristic machine that spans more than six feet in diameter and creates animated fairy-tale loops.
Through the combined efforts of visitors working the hand lever, the image cylinder spins and lights up, creating the illusion of motion in the drawings.
“The artistry and creativity of LOOP elevate the Downtown Houston visitor experience,” said Brenda Bazan, president and CEO at HFC. “We are happy to be one of the first major cities to offer an interactive art piece of this proportion to the City of Houston.”
Presented by Ekumen, LOOP is designed by Olivier Girouard, Jonathan Villeneuve and Ottoblix in collaboration with Generique Design, Jérôme Roy and Thomas Ouellet Fredericks, and was first presented as part of the 7thedition of Luminothérapie, from 2016-2017, at the Place des Festivals in the Quartier des Spectacles in Montreal, Canada.
The installation features black and white images, tinted through a strobe effect, that recall the earliest movies and are visible inside as well as outside the cylinder, so they can be viewed close up or far away. The speed at which the images move, the frequency of the light flickering and the rhythm of the audio composition is determined by how fast the participants move the lever.
“We were inspired by the mechanical poetry of the zoetrope to give the public – thanks to digital technology – an extraordinary immersive experience,” explained Girouard and Villeneuve. “We want to stimulate everyone’s imagination and encourage all to participate, helping people see public space differently.”
This is LOOP’s first appearance in Texas and its fifth stop on its U.S. tour.
“LOOP is a thrilling opportunity to blend a participatory experience with the whimsical, creating a unique visit to Avenida Houston,” said Christine West, HFC cultural programs manager.
She added, “We expect the imaginative artistry of LOOP to enchant visitors and allow them to enjoy our space in a new way.”
This imaginative and interactive experience for guests of all ages is located at The Plaza at Avenida Houston and runs Nov. 30-Jan. 6.
To learn more about LOOP, go HERE.
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