Hop to It
Immersive art experience hops into permanent downtown San Antonio space
The merging of technology and social media has birthed an interesting trend in modern art: the interactive art installation. As artists create work that is multi-sensory and, yes, highly Instagrammable, these shows have popped up everywhere from the Museum of Modern Art to the Museum of Ice Cream.
Now, a new interactive installation is jumping into San Antonio. Beginning October 2, "Hopscotch: Light and Sound" will take up permanent residence in 20,000 square feet inside the Travis Park Plaza Building in downtown San Antonio. Once open, it will offer more than a dozen exhibits from artists in the Alamo City and across the world.
"Hopscotch" will be divided throughout two stories inside 711 Navarro St., with "each installation showcas[ing] diverse, imaginative, and immersive experiences from renown artists pushing the boundaries of technology and art." The show made its Texas debut in Austin last year to sell-out crowds.
“We wanted to create unique spaces that were inclusive to all — that encouraged guests to be present and take part in their experience,” said Hopscotch co-founder Nicole Jensen. “San Antonio has an incredibly authentic and vibrant art scene that speaks to the character of the city, it always felt like a natural home for Hopscotch.”
Though only five installations have been revealed, "Hopscotch" will eventually house 14 individual multimedia exhibits from more than 40 artists, combining everything from LED lights and plastic bags to a light projection that makes participants look like alien beings.
The installations that have been announced thus far:
- Infinity Boxes by Matt Elson — Color, lights, and mirrors construct beautiful boxes that draw viewers in; it’s an optical illusion project that asks visitors to take a closer look at human perception and social interaction, much like the public’s relationship to social media.
- Walls Within by San Antonio Street Art Initiative — This rotating exhibit will feature unique and meaningful works by renowned San Antonio street artists and muralists, as well as talented up-and-coming artists from across the state.
- Symbiosis by Kuflex — An interactive exhibit where projections react to a guest’s body, adjusting to every movement in real time, and in turn, creating new and unique forms each time.
- Rainbow Cave by Basia Goszczynska — Built from salvaged plastic bags and fishing nets, the Rainbow Cave invites viewers to reconsider our relationship with waste. The piece was constructed using 40,000 plastic bags — the same amount of bags used every 2.5 minutes in Texas.
- Color Therapy by POLIS — This installation uses color therapy (or chromotherapy) to help balance the body’s energy centers, also known chakras. Viewers step are invited to step into a circular room, be surrounded by light, and let their senses "fall prey to the endless periphery."
A full list of artists and exhibits, as well as details on the bar program and food vendors, will be released closer to opening.
Once open, "Hopscotch" will operate Friday from 2-11 pm, Saturday from 11 am-11 pm, and Sunday from noon-9 pm. The last tickets will be sold approximately 90 minutes before closing.
Tickets are priced at $23 for adults; $20 for seniors, students, and military; $15 for children ages 4 to 13; and children 3 and under are free.
The Fort Worth section nods to Texas Motor Speedway and the Fort Worth Herd.Photo courtesy of ABC
The Glen Rose section has dinosaurs.Photo courtesy of ABC
The Mach family with Great Christmas Light Fight host Carter Oosterhouse.Photo courtesy of Patrick Mach
