Immersive experiences — ways to awaken the inner child or tickle the creative mind — are all over the place nowadays. It seems like every gallery hopes to whisk visitors away into an alternate dimension. Few put in as much effort as the Austin-born, San Antonio-based Hopscotch, however, which just announced five new installations to launch at its home base in San Antonio on January 24.
Hopscotch an evolving, but long-term gallery that kicks the "immersive" idea up several notches — or it's a rare example of the initial intensity of immersive art spaces before they became a dime a dozen, depending on your artistic awareness. Its installations fill up entire rooms: a rainbow-lit adult ball pit; an organic cave fuzzy with post-industrial plastic bags; a neon funhouse maze.
Although San Antonio and Austin need to share many artsy attractions, this one started as an Austin pop-up and left for a more permanent Alamo City home. Right now, Hopscotch is just in San Antonio and Portland, Oregon, but 80 artists or organizations from across Texas, Oregon, France, Italy, and more have contributed to the mind-melting project. That includes more than 30 from Austin.
“It’s an honor to showcase creative minds from around the world to our San Antonio audience," said Hopscotch co-founder Hunter Inman in a press release. "These new exhibits serve as an important extension of the already unique experience at Hopscotch. As we continue to grow, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of traditional art experiences.”
One new installation, a "Quantum Trampoline," invites visitors to get their excitement and kinetic energy out, with what appear to be responsive light projections like fireworks or phytoplankton.
Photo courtesy of Hopscotch
Another suspends 11,000 lights to create a multi-dimensional field. Visitors can stroll through and look into a manufactured infinity, thanks to mirrors.
Photo courtesy of Hopscotch
One room takes the simple idea of wallpaper to the next level: architectural and organic drawings in primary colors are layered on top of each other for a fluid, Magic Eye-like effect with plenty of details to discover.
Photo courtesy of Hopscotch
Another light projection-based installation induces the "hypnotic recomposition of time," according to the release. It's harder to discern what that might entail before seeing it, but photos show many red and white lines in concentric, angular patterns.
Photo courtesy of Hopscotch
Unexpectedly, one of the installations takes the form of a traditional art gallery. It showcases the Wabi Sabi Series by Albert Trebla. The San Antonio street artist paints flowers on "buildings or large objects that are either abandoned, broken, and forgotten," according to his website. His goal is to leave one Wabi Sabi flower in every San Antonio ZIP Code.
Photo courtesy of Hopscotch
“We are thrilled to introduce these new installations,” said Hopscotch co-founder Nicole Jensen. “Our goal at Hopscotch is to provide an avenue for visitors to connect with artists and celebrate through play. Each exhibit is an example of how art and technology have the power to engage and transform.”
Among the contributing artists are more than 20 San Antonians:
- Ami Plasse
- Argo Design
- Blue Genie Art
- Brewtorium
- Campbell Landscape Architecture
- Cheraya Esters
- C.K. Chin
- dadageek
- Desert Door
- Deep Eddy Vodka
- Dominique Davis
- Hope Outdoor Gallery
- Ilya Tinker
- J Muzacz
- Jared & Joey Ficklin
- Jerome Morrison
- John-Mike Reed
- Kong Screenprinting
- LFI
- Lisa B. Woods
- Malika Boudissa
- Mickey Delp
- Particle Kid
- Phoebe Joynt
- POLIS
- Roger Ho
- Sloke One
- The Baloon Collective
- Tito’s Handmade Vodka
- vürv Collective
- We Are In House
Tickets to the new-and-improved San Antonio Hopscotch are available at letshopscotch.com. Visitors must choose a time of entry, but can stay in the self-paced experience for as long as they wish. According to the release, guests usually stay for about 90 minutes.
