No. 8: Broadway, Binging, and Brilliant Backdrops: The Weekly Wondrous World

Issue No. 8 - Ah, Issue No. 8, the number often associated with infinity turned sideways, but here at "The Experientialist," it's where infinity gets a reality check. In the world of numerology, the number 8 stands for balance and harmony, but here at The Experientialist, I prefer a little more chaos with my harmony. Issue No. 8 is like that eighth cup of coffee – unnecessary but thrilling, bringing you stories that are as eclectic as a flea market in a parallel universe. Per usual, I'll do my best to serve up a pour over of design, tech, commerce and culture – where else could you find es devlin's genius and DARKFIELD's existential arcades rubbing elbows? So, settle in, this isn't just another newsletter – it's an 8th wonder of the experiential world!

In this edition, we're serving up stories that are as unpredictable as trying to use chopsticks in zero gravity. Think of it as a rollercoaster designed by M.C. Escher - you're never quite sure if you're going up, down, or spiraling into another dimension. In this issue, we dance from Mario Mankey 's primate palette to the digital forests of MARSHMALLOW LASER FEAST , and then leaps into the sugar-toothed world of Palace Games' Lollyland's candy-coated golf. We've got VR whales, Disney's VR escapades, and even a stroll through David Lynch's mind – because at this point we've drifted pretty far from reality already. Each story is a mosaic piece in our grand tapestry of design, tech, commerce and culture - weaved together into a tapestry that occasionally resembles a cat's cradle played by an octopus, a collection of romantic stories where reason and imagination are in a committed relationship, and we're all invited to the wedding.

So, as you embark on this journey through the wonderland of Issue No. 8, remember – every story is a door to a new world. A world where trees can talk, cities erect golden halfpipes, and Leonardo da Vinci shares a drink with a human-sized bear. Are you ready to turn the page, i.e. scroll down? Because we're not just reading stories here, we're stepping into them. Welcome back to the curiosity carnival I call The Experientialist – where the mundane is shown the exit and the extraordinary takes center stage!

So off we are, here were go, let's dig in...

Es Devlin Seen From Paper to Proscenium

British artist Es Devlin, known for her theatrical set designs for stars like Beyoncé and events like the Super Bowl, has transformed the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum into a behind-the-scenes Wonderland, where instead of the Mad Hatter, you meet the architect of some of the most jaw-dropping stages in live entertainment. The exhibition - An Atlas of Es Devlin- is a love letter to the art of stage design. It is a dizzying journey from her salad days' sketches to the kind of immersive digital experiences that prove her creativity knows no bounds – not even the walls of a museum. The exhibition is a reminder that if you've ever seen a stage and thought, "Wow, that's cool," there's a good chance Es Devlin was hiding somewhere behind it with a sketchpad and a mischievous grin. The exhibition runs through August 11, 2024.

Es Devlin Read From Page to Stage

If traipsing through a museum to see Es Devlin's exhibition feels like too much effort, she has mercifully brought her artistic genius to your living room with "An Atlas of Es Devlin". The book is Devlin’s artistic diary, packed with sketches, models, and the kind of creative revelations that make you wonder if she has somehow managed to pack 25 hours into her days – a sentiment echoed in her own words, "I do it for love... If I make a beautiful object, it's the most important use of my time." Highly recommended, this isn't just a coffee table book - it's a five-pound, 900-page behemoth that's part autobiography, part art piece, and entirely capable of doubling as a makeshift piece of furniture. It's like having a mini Cooper Hewitt exhibition in your home, but without the need to pretend you understand what's going on. Buy It

WXO's March Mix

March rolls in, not just with spring's daffodils but with a WXO - World Experience Organization-curated cavalcade of mind-bending events from around the globe. The WXO guides you from Refik Anadol in London digitally reimagining nature (making you ponder if a tree falls in a virtual forest, does it make a sound?) to a Tokyo store so psychedelic that its one step away from an illegal hallucinogenic, and to a Kansas museum turning children's literature into a walk-in storybook that is more immersive than a wardrobe portal to Narnia. So, dust off those winter blues and dive into a world where daffodils are just the opening act, and the main show is a global trip through the world of the weird and wonderful. WXO (16 minutes)

Meet the Imagineer Behind Your Virtual Jedi Training

For months, we've been teased with vague renderings, but now Walt Disney Imagineering's Lanny Smoot is turning the imaginary into reality. The man behind Disney's realistic lightsabers and the Star Trek-like HoloTile Floor - this patent-collecting, Jedi-dream-fulfilling Imagineer at Disney is on a mission to make virtual reality walks in the park feel like actual walks in the park (or a casual jaunt through a Star Wars galaxy) - is shaping a future where where you strap on a headset and suddenly, you're not just avoiding sunburn at Disneyland, you're also dodging BB-8 on a far-off planet, flipping through the air as a stuntronic Spider-Man, or fleeing from a Haunted Mansion ghost, all a blend of fantasy, technology, and a dash of Disney magic. Wired (3 minutes)

VR Trips on Whaling Ships

Wu Tsang's "Of Whales" at the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston is in essence an underwater rave minus the water, where ethereal jellyfish and ambient tunes hypnotize you into forgetting you're not actually sinking to the bottom of the ocean. It's like a high-tech retelling of "Moby Dick" if Melville had been into VR and mood lighting, transforming the classic tale into an hour-long sensory trip. You half expect Captain Ahab to pop up in scuba gear, hunting for that elusive digital white whale with a harpoon USB stick. And just when you're ready to hypnotically embark on your own whaling expedition, the show leaves you high and dry, contemplating the deep blue in pitch-black stillness, probably rethinking your career as a 19th-century sailor.

The Whimsical World of Mario Mankey

Mario Mankey, the artist who decided to squish the human and primate worlds together in his name, has been leaving his artistic fingerprints all over public spaces since 2010. Ditching the old-school graffiti scene for something that feels like Picasso making manga, Mankey's art is a delightful confusion of streetwise spontaneity and studio sophistication, a screaming "contradiction" often cast in neon pink – because why use just red when you can paint the town in shades of bubblegum and whatever color palette matches best with the human condition? His work has been described (by me) as a visual riddle wrapped in a graffiti tag, essentially making you question if you're smart enough to understand art or just pretending. For instance, take this piece, "Ego Erectus." It's Mankey's whimsical jab at humanity's oversized ego, suggesting that if egos were visible, ours would be too big to fit on canvas, or even in a skyscraper. It's a visual nudge to remember that while we're busy inflating our self-importance, our feet are still firmly planted on an Earth we're forgetting to care for.

Haute Cuisine Meets Haunted High School

BizBash's February 2024's event roundup is like a jolt of espresso to your average cup of decaf. From the Screen Actors Guild Awards after-party turning the Shrine Auditorium into a swanky Curtis Stone circus to AT&T's Dribble Town, a virtual basketball court where you can play as a digital avatar. (It's like being in a video game, except sadly there are no cheat codes to your trash baller skills.) The "Lisa Frankenstein" premier, where the spooky and surreal collided, sounds like it put the fear back into FOMO. Imagine a goth high school prom designed by Tim Burton -- kids tend to behave when the chaperones are reanimated corpses. And let's not forget Tiffany & Co.'s dinner party, held amidst contemporary artworks and vintage Tiffany silver. It sounds like a lovely event where you could eat three-star Michelin cuisine while pretending to understand abstract art. BizBash (1 minute)

Reddit Goes Public, Redditors Go Wild

Reddit, where meme stocks and crypto dreams collide, has its IPO becoming the internet's favorite punchline. Yes, Redditors, the same folks who turned GameStop into a financial roller coaster, are now eyeing their beloved platform's IPO with all the enthusiasm of a cat contemplating a bath. From "short the shit out of it" to "the beginning of the end," Reddit's own users seem to be betting against it like its a submarine taking on water, which it quite probably is: Reddit is still not profitable and its S-1 filing reads like a cry for help, warning of everything from alien invasions to the risk of users actually having to pay for things. Who knew a site famous for cute cat pictures and heated debates about the best taco truck could be such a financial wildcard? The Verge (6 minutes)

Art That Smells Like Teen Spirit

The Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis is putting on "The Other Four," an exhibition that's less about staring at art and more about getting up close and personal with it, like really personal. Think art installations that include a collection of perfumes with names like a teenage Snapchat thread -- "LOL," "Best Left Alone," and "Dammit Jim" -- each offering a scent as bold and unpredictable as their names suggest: the essence of a rebellious chuckle, the aroma of solitude, and the fragrance of a pubescent exclamation. But wait, there's more – imagine a row of airplane seats, not just for sitting, but transformed into mini snack bars, serving peanuts and other bite-sized treats that take "in-flight dining" to a whole new, ground-level. It's an art show where you're encouraged to touch, sniff, and sit on the exhibits, showing that art isn't just about looking good, it's about feeling weird too. MPR (3 minutes)

Binging on Broadway

Netflix, fresh from binging on "The Crown," has now decided to play dress-up as a Broadway producer with "Patriots," a play about a Russian billionaire's attempt to puppeteer a then-unknown Vladimir Putin into the presidency. It's sounds like a political thriller, but with more dramatic pauses and less episode cliffhangers. It’s good to see theatrical drama is mostly alive and well, even if it takes a streaming giant to remind us that sometimes, you just can't beat the classics – with real people, on a real stage, and not a pause button in sight. New York Times (4 minutes)

An Evening at Tiergarten

In a hypnotic collaboration that combines history, hysteria, and a hint of hipster, Carnegie Hall partners with Death of Classical to present "Tiergarten," an evening at a cabaret where the crumbling Weimar Republic meets the Lower East Side. Taking a trip back to the not-so-roaring '20s, this event in a church basement turned Berlin Speakeasy is where Cher meets Verdi and Dean Martin rubs elbows with Max Richter, all while shadow puppets and jazz musicians compete for your attention. Directed by Death of Classical founder and Artistic Director Andrew Ousley, MC’d by the great Kim David Smith, it's a night where you can sip period-themed drinks, question the fabric of society, and ponder why your jazz hands aren't as hot as The Grand Street Stompers'. deathofclassical.com (3 minutes)

A Trip into Blue Velvet at Salone del Mobile

David Lynch is creating "A Thinking Room" for the 2024 Il Salone Del Mobile, and in a twist that shocks absolutely no one, it's wrapped in blue velvet. Imagine stepping into a Lynchian world where a large wooden chair rules the roost, surrounded by seven gilded cylinders and a vaulted ceiling with metal tubes – it's like walking into a scene from Twin Peaks, minus the cherry pie. This "inner region" is less of a room and more of a journey into the soul, blending reason with fantasy, and proving that Lynch can turn even furniture into a cinematic experience. artnet (2 minutes)

Sweet Strokes and Brain Teasers

At Non Plus Ultra's San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts, our partners Palace Games have opened Lollyland, which is turning mini-golf into a brain-bending candy quest, where the only holes-in-one are the ones in donuts. This isn't a mere game, it's a sugary puzzle adventure where your putter is smarter than your smartphone and your caddy is a virtual guide named Cand*e. It's perfect for those who think regular mini-golf lacks a certain... intellectual glucose, and for corporate teams who’d rather solve confectionery conundrums than sit through another PowerPoint presentation. In the grand, candy-coated scheme of Lollyland's creation, I was able to play a small role, akin to a single sprinkle on an already dazzling cupcake. Working with the amazing Christopher Alden, founder of Palace Games, I contributed a small yet colorful touch in securing the space needed, helping to turn his imaginative vision into a delightful, sugary reality. This is the best part of what I get to do: my involvement, though modest, was sweetly satisfying! BNN (2 minutes)

Space-Tech by Day, Solar Rave by Night

In Burnet, Texas, they're throwing a party so big, even the sun's decided to take a break for it – the Texas Eclipse 2024 – a festival where you can nerd out over space tech by day and rave under a solar eclipse by night, all while sampling Austin's cultural smorgasbord. And with ticket options ranging from VIP to "I just want to camp in my car," there's a spot for every type of cosmic partygoer – just don’t forget your eclipse glasses and promo code “RSVP” for that sweet, sweet discount. Get Tix

Meow Wolf's Artful Lure at Texas Eclipse

And if you're headed to Texas Eclipse 2024, grab your fishing gear and prepare to dive into Meow Wolf's – Gone Fishing – a hands-on, immersive art experience like no other. By day, mingle with the chatty folks at the local livery, and as night falls, the lake transforms into a dazzling stage for steamy performances tailored for the grown-up fishers among us. Bask in the neon glow of their whimsical waterside community, forge new "fished" friendships, and let your cares drift away. So, anchor down and cast your line into their enchanting aquatic world for an unforgettable adventure. EDM (2 minutes)

Wonka's Warehouse of Woes

In Glasgow, an immersive Willy Wonka experience promised a chocolatey wonderland but ended up more like a candy-coated calamity. Visitors, lured by dreams of a Roald Dahl-inspired candy paradise, found themselves in a warehouse as magical as a dentist's waiting room . The "House of Illuminati" organizers promised a whimsical world of candy but delivered a maze of sparse props, a stingy candy station, and a script filled with A.I.-generated gibberish that sounded like a computer had a fever dream. The real golden ticket here was the refund, as even the police got a taste of this less-than-sweet fiasco. The lesson here: Life doesn't always imitate art, it can sometimes just disappoints it. artnet (3 Minutes)

Dancing with the Stars

The University of Arizona is mixing up a cosmic cocktail of art, science, and tech with their new show #PlanetScape, where you can virtually jet off on a multimedia space odyssey to exoplanets without leaving Tempe. It's an interstellar journey where you can fly to a lava world or a water world, all while depth-sensing cameras track your every move like you're in playing a cosmic game of Just Dance. The project is a blend of brainiacs and ballet, where dancers interact with virtual celestial bodies, proving that art can take you places, even if it's just a suspended animation trip to a galaxy far, far away.

The Future of Sitting Down

Who is ready to experience the Future of Sitting Down?! Honda is revving up the world of VR by pairing it with a hands-free wheelchair, the Uni-One, creating what's basically a mixed reality free roam dark ride. At SXSW 2024 you'll be zooming around the exhibit floor at a breakneck 3.7 miles per hour, feeling like you're either floating in the sky or shredding a half-pipe, all while comfortably seated. It's like a cool person's Segway, blending the excitement of virtual escapades with the joy of sitting.

Da Vinci's Doodles Down Under

Bruce Peterson and his mates at Grande Experiences are at it again. This time, THE LUME Melbourne is bringing Leonardo da Vinci to the land down under, not the man (he's busy being dead for 500 years), but his Codex Atlanticus, a 12-volume set that's basically Leonardo's old sketchbook. It's a chance to peek into da Vinci's mind. "Leonardo da Vinci—500 Years of Genius" includes everything from the only exact 360° Mona Lisa replica, to a VR trip over Florence by a man who thought flying machines were the future, to a Renaissance-themed bar, because it helps to be on a latte rush if you plan to decipher the scribbles of a genius who predates your great-great-great-grandparents. “Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius” is on at THE LUME, Melbourne, from March 16, 2024. artnet (2 minutes)

Downtown LA's Artistic Ollie

Turning Downtown LA into a scene straight out of a skater's day-glo dream, PLAYLAB, INC. and Vans have unveiled a collab ramp so yellow it's like skateboarding on a slice of sunshine. This skateable art piece, created for the city's art week, is part homage to Sterling Ruby's "Clash the Wall" shoes and part skater's daydream. The creators describe it as taking a hill, giving it a surreal twist, and drenching it in a yellow so bright, it's like skating inside a highlighter. Trend Hunter (1 minute)

Anime and Espionage

After months of teasing us with the same murky Midjourney-lite rendering, Immersive Fort Tokyo finally throws open its doors, and it's like stepping into a spy movie, but with less danger and more tourists. Nestled in Tokyo's Odaiba, this park is ditching traditional rides for twelve immersive attractions, like being a pawn in a mafia gunfight or Sherlock's sidekick in foggy London. If you've ever wanted to be held hostage by actors or wander through an anime scene, this is your playground, minus the actual danger and Victorian smog. Japan Times (1 minute)

Marshmallow Laser Feast's Immersive Nature Expedition

In an exhibit that sounds more like a psychedelic camping trip than a museum show, Barney Steel and the brilliant mindscape sculptors behind the London-based collective MARSHMALLOW LASER FEAST along with ACMI present "Works of Nature" -- an exhibition where you can literally become a tree, because who hasn't dreamt of photosynthesizing for a day? Guided by the dulcet tones of Cate Blanchett and the poetic musings of Daisy Lafarge, this sensory journey is like a digital yoga class, but instead of stretching, you're transforming into various elements of nature, like water droplets (also on my bucket list) and celestial stars (proving that size really does matter when you're traversing the cosmos in a gallery). It's an immersive experience that might make you question whether you're in an art show or a very elaborate screensaver. Either way, you'll be reminded that you're just a tiny part of a massive ecosystem – but hey, at least you're part of it.

Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time Machine

Cyndi Lauper, the original girl who just wanted to have fun, is trading her 80s pop bangles for a shot at immersive theater with Pophouse Entertainment, the Swedish geniuses behind ABBA Voyage. In a deal that sounds like a cross between a tech expo and a Broadway show, Lauper's aiming to transform her hits into an immersive experience that's less about digital avatars and more about a heartfelt tribute to the women who shaped her. It’s like a time machine, but instead of going back to the 80s, it takes you to the heart of New York through the eyes of a pop legend who's been fighting for women's rights since her hair was as big as her dreams. San Diego Union Tribune (2 minutes)

Still Waiting for the Big Bang

After a decade of wading through the virtual reality wilderness, the art world is still on the hunt for its digital promised land, even as Meta's Oculus buyout anniversary coincides with Apple 's Vision Pro debut. While artists have been dabbling in the VR pond, it's hardly been a tidal wave of change, leaving us to wonder if Apple's new headset will be the tech Moses to lead us to the land of widespread VR use. Still, with a hefty $3,500 price tag, the Vision Pro might just be another high-tech gadget out of reach for most, making it more of a virtual daydream than a reality for the starving artist. The Art Newspaper (7 minutes)

Meta's Vision for 2027

Meanwhile, after years of whispers and winks, Meta might finally pull the curtain back on their elusive augmented reality glasses, codenamed "Orion," later this year. Slated for a sneak peek this fall at Meta Connect, seemingly keen to avoid the fashion faux pas of Google's Glass and Snap Inc.'s Spectacles, these aren't just your run-of-the-mill tech trifocals but promise an advanced visual AR experience, stepping up from Meta's current Ray-Ban smart glasses and VR-heavy Quest headsets. But don't start queuing up for Black Frida just yet, these high-tech peepers are more of a teaser for a 2027 release. It seems Meta is cautiously stepping into the AR runway, perhaps learning a thing or two from the not-so-stylish tumbles of their predecessors i=on the smart glasses catwalk. The Verge (3 minutes)

Picture This

Leica Camera Ltd, the highbrow of high-end photography, just opened a part retail store, part gallery in New York's Meatpacking District. The two-story, 3,000-square-foot emporium stretches over two floors, offering a utopia of cameras, lenses, and even a smart laser TV, because apparently, that's a thing now. Upstairs, there's a photo studio for testing your Instagram skills and a library for those who like to study photographic images by using books. So, whether you're a pro behind the lens or just enjoy sharing pictures of your brunch, Leica's got you covered. For those who fancy themselves the next big thing in photography or just want to play with expensive toys, the new Lieca store has something for everyone... who has a big wallet. Leica Soho

SXSW's Bizarre Bazaar

Do you remember when SXSW was just about the music and tech? I don't. Event Marketer looks back on twelve past "experiential tactics that exemplify marketing at this most influential industry tentpole" – though to this untrained eye they seem more like a marketing brainstorm session led by a caffeine-addicted toddler. It is where brands throw everything at the wall (or high into the sky): Prime Video & Amazon Studios post-apocalyptic hotel makeover, Audible's Ferris wheel gondolas playing audiobooks, and Poopourri's 30-foot inflatable turd – because when you run out of ideas, go big or go home, right? It’s SXSW at its most unhinged, where marketers let their creativity off the leash and into the wild, and leave attendees with a fragrant reminder of marketing's limitless boundaries. Event Marketer (4 minutes)

Need a Bear Hug?

Feeling like your life is a dumpster fire of adult responsibilities and as loveless as a porcupine's hug? Cloudco Entertainment has the perfect antidote: Care Bears Location-Based Experiences! Swap your mundane Monday for a splash of color and a dose of joy with these iconic symbols of childhood. Who needs therapy when you can hug a life-sized Care Bear? It's like a time machine to simpler days, where the biggest worry was running out of crayons. So, if you're looking to trade your adult angst for a rainbow-infused escape, look no further – the Care Bears are here to turn that dumpster fire into a fireworks display of happiness! In Park Magazine (9 minutes)

ARCADE: Where Every Game is a Philosophical Dilemma

ARCADE is the latest immersive experience from Andrea Salazar and rest of the rest of the visionary collective comprising DARKFIELD. Forget the quarter-guzzling machines and sticky-floored gaming halls of yesteryear. This isn’t an ordinary arcade and ARCADE is not your average button-smashing affair. In this game, you're not just jiggling joysticks, but instead each arcade machine is a portal plunging you into the heart of a war-torn digital game universe where you are the avatar -- be it a valiant warrior, a peace-seeking diplomat, or even a cult enthusiast looking for a "better" reality -- with choices that could lead to triumph or total annihilation. In our "reality," it all happens in the pitch-black confines of a shipping container (or, my hope one day, an Non Plus Ultra venue), with 360-degree binaural sound making every decision feel like a matter of life and death. It's like Pac-Man, if Pac-Man questioned the meaning of his existence while being chased around an ontological maze by a metaphysical ghost named Blinky. So, as you navigate through this pixelated pandemonium, be prepared to ponder life's big questions, like "Do I actually have free will?" and "Is joining a cult a sound career move?" Get Tix

Let's Dive Deeper Together

Hey there, I'm Lou Pizante , the curious mind behind "The Experientialist." This newsletter is my playground, a place where art, technology, culture, and commerce dance together. But it's not just about what I have to say – it's about sparking conversations, learning from each other, and growing our collective knowledge.

I'm always on the lookout for fascinating new experiences, innovative ideas, and intriguing perspectives. If you've got a story, a project, or a brainwave that you're itching to share, or if you're just keen to chat about the latest in immersive art or groundbreaking tech, I'm all ears.

Why not reach out? Let's connect and explore these fascinating intersections together. Drop me a message, and let's see where our conversation takes us. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!