With fewer pastime options in Philly for tourists and locals in the age of Covid-19, there is a bright spot on Market East in the Fashion District with the reopening of the Wonderspaces art exhibit.
After the coronavirus forced the creative concept to shut down in March, it has reopened its doors with new safety protocols including temperature checks at the door, hand sanitizing stations, social distancing and signing a waiver ensuring you understand everything going in. Masks are required and visitors are limited to 40 people per hour in the more than 24,000 square foot space.
Fourteen highly immersive and interactive exhibits from artists around the globe await guests inside the Fashion District at 10th and Market streets.
Those who visited Wonderspaces when it first opened in January may remember exhibits like the glowing Submergence by Squidsoup, the sunrise and sunset of Sun by Phillip Schutte and the colorful Body Paint by Memo Akten. Now, Wonderspaces will debut two new ones, including three robot sketch artists by Patrick Tresset.
Human Study #1 3RNP is an installation where people individually sit before a trio of robots which sketch them in about 20 minutes. The robot is the “artist” and each creates a different image based on three different perspectives, almost reminiscent of a life drawing class. The finished drawings are then displayed and become part of the art installation.
Jonathan Naughton from Amherst, Massachusetts sat for Human Study #1 3RNP and although he didn’t get to take his images home with him, he was nonetheless thrilled to be a subject.
“Our friends wanted to go see the Rocky steps but we said ‘No! We’re going to Wonderspaces!’ It went way beyond my expectations,” he said.
“They have all the VR stuff. They have the robot drawings. This is one of my favorite places – not just for a road trip, but in general.”
The exhibit brings together art from Burning Man, Sundance, and other festivals at a time when artists are unable to travel internationally to make presentations, but still want to reach new audiences and get paid for their work.
“Presenting fourteen extraordinary works, our show is an opportunity to share new experiences and new conversations with family and friends,” Wonderspaces President Jason Shin said in a news release.
“We believe providing a safe place to spend quality time with loved ones has never been more important than in the middle of this pandemic…We have also worked with artists to ensure that masks and new protocols work in tandem with the interactivity of the exhibits.”
Other exhibits to look for include:
Ferreflection Pool by Mesplé, Blooms by John Edmark, Transition by Mike von Rotz and Joost Jordens, Come Together by Michael Murphy, The Last Word by Illegal Art, Myrkviðr by Yasuhiro Chida, Daydream v2 by NONOTAK Studio, Dinner Party by Charlotte Stoudt, Laura Wexler, and Angel Soto, Sweepers Clock by Maarten Baas and Sweet Spot by Shawn Causey and Mark Daniellx.
Images: Society Hill Films.
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