ARTECHOUSE NYC, Pioneering New Space For Experiential And Tech-driven Art, Reopens September 3

ARTECHOUSE, the nation's first innovative digital art space with multiple locations across the United States, reopens its Chelsea Market location on Thursday, September 3rd as part of the New York City's reopening process. Initially opening its doors to great success in the Fall of 2019, they will re-inaugurate the venue with Intangible Forms, a kinetic audio-visual laser performance and installation by Japanese multimedia artist Shohei Fujimoto, whose run was cut short after only 10 days in mid-March. ARTECHOUSE NYC reopens with limited capacity and other protocols in place to ensure the safety and health of its visitors.

"We started ARTECHOUSE with the intention to educate, empower and inspire artists and our community alike. That mission matters now more than ever, as we find ourselves emerging from this time of fear and isolation," said Sandro Keserelidze, founder and Chief Creative Officer of ARTECHOUSE, "Art, we feel, is truly essential right now. It can provide a respite from the chaos that surrounds us, inspire us, transport us. Intangible Forms was intended as an immersive experience into the known and unknown, and we hope the audiences find it timely, as we all re-emerge into a world we know, yet surrounded by so many unknowns around us."

"As we reopen our New York location, the health and welfare of our visitors and staff is of utmost importance, and we are following guidelines from the NY Governor's Office, NY Department of Public Health, CDC, and best practices and standards set forth by museum directors across the country for safe reopening," shared Tatiana Pastukhova, founder and Managing Director of ARTECHOUSE, "We look forward to welcoming visitors back to enjoy art in a safe and secure environment."

Safety protocols that have been put in place by ARTECHOUSE include the following:

• In order to provide contactless check-ins, ticket purchases must be placed online at www.artechouse.com. For limited time tickets purchased online in advance will receive $5 off.

• New operating hours have been put in place to ensure sufficient time for cleaning and sanitation.

• Art space sessions continue to be limited beyond mandated 25% capacity along with split session start times to ensure seamless entry and proper social distancing.

• Mask or face coverings must be worn inside the art space at all times.

• Temperature checks will take place upon arrival. Visitors with a temperature 100.4F or higher will be directed to rebook their visit.

• Hand sanitizing stations have been added throughout the art space.

• Suggested safe distancing of 6 feet apart from others will be strictly enforced.

• Professional cleaning and sanitizing will take place prior to each daily opening.

• Hourly cleaning and sanitizing of the art space will be performed by team members.

• Visitors that are experiencing illness symptoms will have the option of rebooking.

Light, time, and autonomy are recurring motifs that travel throughout the installation and coded operations serve as a building block for Fujimoto's process of exploration. Often, he refers to code and the mathematical operations as the invisible markers that create form. Sculpting imagery not in a particular shape, but sculpting the mathematical operations behind the image to give shape. Both intricate and alluring, Fujimoto's works are prime examples for a new way of drawing and creating visual artworks.

The centerpiece installation, a 30 minutes looped performance piece, invites us to see the intangible as tangible using kinetic laser modules set in a hazy soundscape. But what is it all about? "I've been trying to generate virtual consciousness and, in extension, virtual life in this work, triggering a deeper sense of humanity in ourselves" - shares Fujimoto. This central idea continues through a series of four more works spread throughout the space, all of which are created to exist in their own time axis with limited functionality, that imitate life phenomena around us. "I hope by the end of their visit, the guests are able to focus on their own universal sense of being."

"At ARTECHOUSE we continue in our mission to connect audiences to art in an entirely new way, stimulating minds, emotions, and imagination through multiple touchpoints. Each exhibition and installation on view is intended to enthrall, educate and challenge simultaneously and Intangible Forms is a really visceral example of that" - shared Sandro Kereselidze, - "Shohei Fujimoto, whose work has bold philosophical questions at its center, materializing through his intricate executions, has intrigued us for several years and now ARTECHOUSE is thrilled to bring him to New York City and we invite everyone to come with an open mind, because Fujimoto's works are not meant to be explained, but experienced."

Intangible Forms also offers an educational opportunity for those interested in the world of lasers and optics, as well as a thoroughly modern interpretation of the ancient art of meditation. The soundscapes of the exhibition are inspired by the powerful quiet of the Shinto Shrine in the mountains in Japan, where every sound and feeling around you can be amplified, triggering a deeper sense of humanity in ourselves.

This is the latest in the series of ARTECHOUSE collaborations with some of the most innovative artists and partners working at the intersection of art and technology today, which in the past included Refik Anadol, Pantone, Zach Lieberman, Rhizomatiks, NONOTAK and more.

TIMES & HOURS:
Intangible Forms is on view to the public September 3rd - October 4th, 2020
Daily General Admissions: Monday - Thursday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday - Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

TICKETS:

• $24 Adult

• $20 Student (with ID), Senior (65+), Military & First Responders (with ID)

• $17 Children (4-14 years old)

• FREE for children under the age of 4

For limited time all online bookings will receive an automatic $5 discount on tickets purchased!

Single and group tickets can be reserved in advance at artechouse.com/nyc.