For ten days only, through February 20, 2012, Chicago's Millennium Park is transformed into a digital canvas of light and geometrical form when it unveils Luminous Field, its first-ever site-specific video and sound installation by the Chicago-based artists, Luftwerk. Created specifically for Millennium Park, the installation will illuminate Cloud Gate – known by Chicagoans as "The Bean" – and the ATT Plaza on which it sits with dramatic images and colors set to music composed by Owen Clayton Condon of Chicago's Third Coast Percussion.
Luminous Field by Luftwerk is presented by the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, in cooperation with the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Admission is free.
The installation will be on view on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday through Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and will be complemented by family programming and music and dance performances in an adjacent heated tent on Millennium Park's Chase Promenade North.
"If anything could possibly enhance the interactive experience of Anish Kapoor's monumental Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park - then this could be it," said Dorothy Coyle, Executive Director of the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture. "Visitors from all over will want to see this beautiful sound and light show in the center of the Park each night; then round out their trip by enjoying music and dance programs in the tent and the permanent art in the Park."
Luminous Field will include additional programming on the weekends. Children of all ages can enjoy hands-on art projects, musical games and craft activities on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In the evenings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there will be music and dance performances in the heated tent. The complete event schedule will be announced later this month.
For more information about Luminous Field by Luftwerk, visit www.explorechicago.org, call 312.742.1168, visit Explore Chicago on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @explorechicago.
Luftwerk
Luftwerk is the artistic collaboration of Petra Bachmaier and Sean Gallero, both graduates of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. They have worked together for over 10 years, presenting their work at cultural institutions, galleries and public venues, nationally and internationally. In 2007, they formed Luftwerk with a focus on new media, video and light design. They have created multi media video installations in locations as diverse as MASS MoCA, JFK Airport, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and Robie House.
Millennium Park
Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by Michigan Ave. to the west, Columbus Dr. to the east, Randolph St. to the north and Monroe St. to the south. Convenient parking is located in the Millennium Park Garage (entrance on Columbus at Monroe or Randolph) and at the Grant Park North and East Monroe Garages, all located within a short walking distance of Millennium Park.
Millennium Park, managed and programmed by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. Among Millennium Park's prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor's hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture.
Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture
The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture (COTC) is dedicated to promoting Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers, providing innovative visitor programs and services, and presenting free world-class public programs. COTC supports local artists through grants and other resources and creates vital opportunities for artists of all levels. For more information please visit www.ExploreChicago.org.
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