Navy Pier is bringing visual and interactive art in full circle with its latest free public art installation, Loop. Inspired by the zoetrope – an optical device invented in the 19th century – this retro-futuristic machine creates playful animations with the simple pull of a lever, bringing to life 13 classic fairytales. Set to debut in Polk Bros Park on Thursday, February 28, the interactive and whimsical installation will remain on display through Sunday, May 12.
Loop, produced by Ekumen and Montreal-based Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, is a cross between a music box, a zoetrope and a railway handcar. Guests of all ages are welcome to sit inside of one of the 12 nine-foot cylinders and pull a lever to set in motion a flickering strobe effect of black and white images accompanied by sound – reminiscent of early films. Once activated, the cylinder becomes animated with light and sound, creating the illusion of motion in the drawings. The black and white images can be viewed from close up or far away. The speed at which the images fly by, the frequency at which the light flickers and the rhythm of the audio composition are all directly related to the pace set by the participants’ effort at the pump-powered machine.
This unique installation is brought to Navy Pier by creators and designers Ekumen, Olivier Girouard, Ottoblix and Jonathan Villeneuve, in collaboration with Generique Design, Thomas Ouellet Fredericks and Jérôme Roy.
Loop is part of Navy Pier’s ongoing commitment to offer guests free, one-of-a kind arts and cultural programming, designed to inspire, educate and connect communities and guests across the city and globe. For more information, visit www.navypier.org or download the Navy Pier app on any Android or iOS device.