Sensorio in Paso Robles unveils new illuminated geometric sculptures. See the photos
Sensorio celebrated its fifth year Thursday evening by unveiling a new exhibit that brings you into another dimension.
The art installation — literally named DIMENSIONS — brings visitors into a light-up geometric world with glowing colors and meditative music.
After visiting the Field of Lights, visitors can follow the path toward the new exhibit. From the hill you can see the glowing three-dimensional polygons, which are lit from within and project patterns onto the ground.
Some polygons are interactive, with entrances amd benches inside, while others can spin.
Los Angeles-based artists Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk, known as the duo HYBYCOZO, have been working on the installment for three years. The installation marks their 10th year working together, they said.
This is the first time the artists had the opportunity to create something at this large scale, Filipchuk said, so the two wanted to come up with something big.
The exhibition is made up of 44 polyhedral shaped-sculptures with laser-cut patterns “that are exemplary of another dimension of geometry,” Filipchuk said.
The music is composed by Allen Hulsey, a friend of Beaulieu and Filipchuk, who played a Turkish harp known as a qanun. The programming to sync the music and color-changing lights was done by Chris Medvitz and Chris Herman of Lightswitch, a creative lighting design collective.
“It really is to combine the universal language of geometry, lights and sound to create an experience that almost feels otherworldly,” Beaulieu said. “They can transport visitors out of the normal world they live in and give them a place to be contemplative, to be meditative, to have an experience with themselves and with the nature at the same time.”
Filipchuk said she and Beaulieu find a lot of inspiration from maps.
“How you would find a place that you’re looking for in your heart or how to move from your mind into a different place that you want to inhabit,” Filipchuk said. “So a lot of the sculptures are actually small maps for how you would move somewhere within your celestrial or spiritual body.”
Beaulieu said their practice is to showcase geometry, shapes and patterns that are otherwise not experienced by people, especially because the majority of people live and work in square rooms.
Nirav Nirvaan Mehta told The Tribune he traveled to Sensorio from Los Angeles to support Beaulieu and Filipchuck. He said he tried to learn as little about his friends’ exhibition so he could fully experience the art and be surprised.
“It’s like an inspirational playground,” Mehta said. “Seeing everyone interact with it, I feel like they reclaiming their childhood and getting into this rabbit hole of nostalgia.”
Sensorio has also opened a new permanent stage, where musical acts will perform while guests enjoy food and drink before or after visiting the art installations.
Access to DIMENSIONS alone costs $30 per adult, $15 per child, according to the Sensorio website. To access all exhibits, adult passes start at $65 and children at $30. For more information, visit sensoriopaso.com.
