Giant Inflatable Art Installation Debuts Downtown
Starting July 23, 'Elysian Arcs' will be on display for just one week at the Marcus Center.
Elysian Arcs installment at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Photo taken July 20, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
The team at Atelier Sisu spent its weekend blowing bubbles — not the fleeting, soapy spheres, but a massive art installation that will be on display in downtown Milwaukee for just one week.
“Elysian Arcs,” created by the Sydney-based design firm, is located on the grounds of the Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St.
The five inflatable archways, each standing over 20 feet tall, can be touched and walked through. During the day, a film on the transparent arcs reflects the sunlight, making them shimmer in rainbow hues. At nighttime, the arcs will be lit from the inside and accompanied by a “unique soundscape,” according to a news release.
The overall effect is intended to be “a space of reflection, immersion, and joy for its audience.”
Atelier Sisu, also responsible for last summer’s “Evanescent” installment, is led by Peruvian sculptor and industrial designer Renzo B. Larriviere and spatial architect and artist Zara Pasfield.
Both exhibitions were brought to Milwaukee by a partnership of Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21 and the Marcus Center.
Elysian Arcs will open to the public from July 23 through 27, coinciding with the Marcus Center’s Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT, featuring daily programming Tuesday through Saturday.
Free musical performances will start each night at 7 p.m., with an earlier, family-night start time of 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Sazama’s will serve food each day on the riverfront patio, with additional eats provided by an assortment of food trucks.
Bubble artist Michelle Hackett will be on-site weekdays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Lawn games and a rainbow-painted piano will provide interactive entertainment for the public.
The week’s live music lineup includes LowDown Brass Band on Tuesday; gospel-infused Robert Randolph Band on Wednesday; Radio Free Honduras, a Latin dance station, on Thursday; Beatles tribute band BritBeat on Friday and the dance-friendly ensemble Mucca Pazza on Saturday. More details are available on the Marcus Center website.
According to Larriviere and Pasfield, “Elysian Arcs” draws inspiration from today’s world, which teeters on “the precipice of change.”
Amid the pressures of “climatic influences, political feuds, economic fluctuations and social pressures, it is meant to evoke a sense of wonder and joy in its viewers. Its title means beautiful, creative and divinely inspired.”
Elysian Arcs is in the midst of an international tour, with Milwaukee serving as its first stop in the United States.
“The opportunity to host the internationally acclaimed Elysian Arcs installation is a testament to Downtown Milwaukee’s reputation as a premier destination for public art,” said Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee
Downtown, BID #21. “We, along with our partners at Marcus Performing Arts Center, look forward to sharing this joyful experience with the community this summer.”
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