Meow Wolf brings immersive art to Denver

(CNN) – Picture this: Four worlds collide as a result of a cosmic event 25 years ago. All the inhabitants lose their memory, resulting in the disappearance of four women.

When the exhibit opens on September 17, visitors will be part of history, exploring the four worlds – kaleidoscopic cathedrals, Corinthian catacombs, lush alien habitats and dazzling but rocky cityscapes – to investigate what happened. .

While the backstory feels supernatural, this is an immigration story inspired by the Sun Valley neighborhood in Denver where the building is located, said Chadney Everett, senior creative director at Meow Wolf Denver.

“Convergence Station connects us to four disparate alien worlds, mysteriously converged together by a rare cosmic event,” Everett said. “Some of its citizens are thrilled with the opportunities of this new world, and others yearn for their homes. A story expressed in many immigrant communities.”

The four floors of the installation incorporate more than three years of work by hundreds of artists and collaborators, including more than 110 Colorado-based artists. It will open with 79 “mind-blowing” projects with titles such as “Broken Time”, “Crystal Future” and “Indigenous Futurist Dreamscapes Lounge”. And the number of projects will continue to grow, Everett said, as Meow Wolf will be looking for new artists from Denver to collaborate with each year.

Meow Wolf’s past, which really looks like the future

A dark hallway bordered by neon trees, a pastel room with geometric patterns that deceive the eye, a fantastic and bright forest – the immersive exhibition takes place in an adventure style with more than 70 rooms of colorful maximalist art made possible by hundreds of artists, designers and volunteers. The creator of “Game of Thrones”, George RR Martin, is one of the supporters of House of Eternal Return.

Part of Meow Wolf’s mission as a registered public benefit corporation is to support artists and build community, which includes investing in the communities it serves. In addition to collaborating with local Colorado artists for Convergence Station, the group is partnering with other arts organizations like the Latino Cultural Arts Center “to be part of a supporting network of arts organizations throughout the city of. Denver, ”Everett said.

“They really wanted to incorporate the local artists, it was something that they were really trying to achieve,” said David Ocelotl Garcia, a local artist from Colorado involved in the installation. “Not only to bring in artists from all over the world, but to really embrace local artists the best they can and provide that opportunity, which I found really cool to do.”

Collaborate for the Convergence Station

Garcia collaborated with fellow Colorado artist Cal Duran for one of the room’s installations, titled “Earth Spirits of the Subconscious Mind,” which features dozens of sculpted ceramic heads protruding from the walls.

They both wanted to honor the indigenous and Mexican heritage, the heads referring to the ancestors of these cultures. The heads have mirrors in their eyes, prompting viewers to reflect on their own identities and ancestors, according to Duran.

“I really wanted it to be imaginative and a little bit supernatural,” Duran said. “When people come into our room, I want them to feel like they’re in another realm.”

Corn is a recurring motif in the piece, representing sustenance, balance and strength in indigenous Mexican tradition, according to Garcia. To enhance the experience, he also recorded a mix of instruments such as flutes, drums and a conch shell, along with other recorded sounds of nature, to play in the visitor’s room.

“I created Earth Spirits to honor my family, my ancestors and my community, as well as to raise awareness and respect all living things,” Garcia said.

Other featured artists include Kalyn Heffernan of Wheelchair Sports Camp, the Los Angeles-based artist collective Everything is Terrible! and Christopher Nelson, an Oscar and Emmy Award-winning special effects (FX) makeup artist whose body of work includes “Kill Bill”, “Halloween” and “Suicide Squad”.

The collective is carving out a niche of large-scale, immersive art experiences, and Everett is excited to see what their future looks like – though it’s safe to assume it will be colorful and chaotic.

“Meow Wolf started out as a group of young artists exploring ways to express their unique vision outside of the traditional gallery system,” Everett said. “And now that we have found a way to create a successful model for our type of collaboration between installation art and the artist community, we are excited to introduce and support our fellow artists in communities around the world. . “