Installation Art

Cluster (Capsule Review)

Laura Hess

04 Jan 2022 • 1 min read

At a glance, the photo could be a series of skyscrapers with their windows lit up at night. Tall and narrow square columns fill a huge mirrored room. On the sides of each column are vertical strips of LED lights. The room is dark and the purple and blue lights are reflected in the mirrored walls and floor. The center of the image makes it hard to discern which columns are real and which ones are reflections; the perspective seems to carry on into an infinite distance. — Photo: AREA15

[Original publication: No Proscenium, 7/13/21]

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Presenting its inaugural exhibition, Museum Fiasco is a permanent art installation space within AREA15. Created by Playmodes Studio, Cluster is an immersive light and sound experience within a 4,000 square-foot “mirror box.” The entire program consists of three chapters, “Kernal,” “Railwave,” and “Stellar,” each rotating every 45 to 60 minutes. I experienced “Stellar,” which moved through a range of abstract combinations, including moments of recorded dialogue.

First launched in 2017 at the Day for Night festival in Houston, Cluster was previously produced without the mirrored environment, which is transformative; the infinity effect distorts spatial awareness and amplifies the coordinated oscillation between the sound and lighting design. Located in a city known for its neon signage, Cluster fits right in, while also carving its own path.

On the light-and-sound-installation spectrum, Cluster lands closer to Kyle McDonald and Jonas Jongejan’s Light Leaks, compared to Chromasonic’s Satellite One. The meditative quality has an energetic edge and induces a visceral desire to move — not just within and throughout the space, but a real need to feel movement generated by the body. It’s a sensorily rich experience and my only wish is for the chapters to be programmed so that visitors can experience all three without spending hours in the exhibition.

(Content advisory: strobing lights)