An Art Experience

During our school winter break, I had the opportunity to visit a special art gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  It was in the Ahha gallery. 

Photo from Ahha facebook page.

This was a very unique interactive gallery comprised of three floors.  This first floor contains contemporary art installations.  The second floor is an art installation called "The Experience."  I haven't experienced anything quite like it before. You entered into a maze of strobe light effects, fluorescent painted structures, and undulating projected graphics.  There were cockpit doors that opened up in which you climbed into a space designed to fit a theme and a video playing to support the artistic idea.  

In my artistic development class for my masters in art education program, we had studied the idea of art experiences.  One of these was Rikrit Tiravanija's art installation called "Free."  In the experience, the artist set up a kitchen in the art museum and served rice and Thai curry for free, blurring the line between art and viewer, where the viewer becomes a part of the art.  

Rirkrit Tiravanija

untitled (free/still)

1992/1995/2007/2011-

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/147206

At the Ahha gallery, my daughter and I experienced THE GUM LAB.  In this art installation, you are invited to take a piece of gum from the gumball machine, chew it and stick it to the bottom of an old-fashioned school desk.  The desk is placed upside down to make this task a bit easier to accomplish.  

During my studies, many graduate students argued that these experiences aren't really art and that we have become a society that can do just about anything and call it art.  What do you think?  Is this art?  Food (or gum) for thought! 

On the third floor was an art studio set up with all types of art tools and recycled materials.  Anyone can create here at this inspiring venue!  

Now, it's time to let your creativity shine in our art studios here at Hillsboro Primary!