Aurora-Powered by Reliant, the expansive and free art and light experience, will take place downtown on Friday, October 16th from 7 p.m. – 2 a.m. For one night, the Dallas Arts District will be transformed into an open-air urban playground of new media art: light, video, sound, and performance. Visitors will witness their everyday urban environment converted into an interactive site for some of the world’s most innovative and new art.
“Aurora completely pushed the boundaries of what is possible in the Dallas Arts District,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “It reshaped for the tens of thousands of people how art can be experienced, and demonstrated that the Dallas Arts District can be the perfect setting for events of this scope and scale.”
Aurora co-founders Shane Pennington and Joshua King have partnered with the nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center to produce an event that in 2013 drew more than 30,000 visitors and has already received international attention.
“Aurora is a feast for the senses that changes the way people see art and the way they see downtown Dallas,” said Doug Curtis, president and CEO of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. “The Center’s mission is to provide a community gathering place, so we’re thrilled to create the platform and infrastructure for an even more exciting event for North Texas.”
This year marks the fourth Aurora event. It will run from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. and feature 80 international, national and local artists with work presented in six professionally curated sections spanning the district.
“This is about using contemporary art to turn our everyday impression about our city on its head,” said Aurora co-founder Joshua King. “The Arts District is a canvas, and we’re using light and sound to transform it for a night in a way you’ll never forget.”
While Aurora is again free, one of the best ways to experience the event, where attendance could set a new record, is to purchase the VIP Experience Ticket. This ticket (priced at $150) provides access to three VIP lounges with open bars, including a signature vodka cocktail called Snow Leopard Aurora; appetizers by Wolfgang Puck Catering; restrooms; and access to the Aurora afterparty in Annette Straus Square. The afterparty features Com Truise and a special DJ set from Tycho. A signature rum cocktail, Brugal Borealis, is avaiable at the afterparty’s cash bars. Tickets are available at attpac.org
The artwork at Aurora reflects this year’s theme, “All Together Now,” a reference to the concept of synesthesia: a term describing the joining together of senses. Some pieces include:
- Memo Atken’s “Simple Harmonic Motion” which will use mathematical principles and algorithms to create sound and light that will be projected over One Arts Plaza.
- Andreas Greiner’s “Toccata for pyrocystis fusiformis,” where clear containers of algae placed on top of a piano will react to the music by emitting a blue light.
- Veronika Georgieva & Stephan Shanabrook’s “Memory Lane” which will visually display photos from the lives of North Texans throughout the 20th century down Harwood Street.
- 3_Search’s “Sense/Coalescence” which will project images onto the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, with visuals that respond to a live vocal performer.
- Niko Princen’s “In the Event of Fire” which will allow participants in Dallas to blow into a microphone here which will blow out a candle in Amsterdam.
Leading up to Aurora, a series of community-focused events are part of the Center’s commitment to use Aurora as an educational tool, thanks in large part to the generosity of Neiman Marcus. An Aurora Family Day drew hundreds to the Center’s campus on October 3rd for dance and visual art classes for children, led by professional artists. On October 14th and 15th, special panels that include Aurora curators, scientists and other academics will be held at the Wyly Theatre and broadcasted live on Periscope, a free app available for download on most smart devices. Rounding out the week will be ‘Chit-Chat with Ange Leccia’ at The Joule, moderated by Associate Professor at University of Texas at Dallas Frank DuFour and presented by the Dallas Contemporary. For a full list of activities, dates, times and locations, please visit the Aurora site.
The Center has also created curriculum for students and families that will provide discussion topics and learning tools about the artists and artwork of Aurora. Additionally, a master class will be held for students in Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts led by Center staff and Aurora artist Danielle Georgiou.
Booker T. High School is just one of many participating organizations, including the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas City Performance Hall, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Klyde Warren Park, Meyerson Symphony Center, Nasher Sculpture Center and St. Paul United Methodist Church.
The nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center is offering numerous resources to create the best Aurora experience for all patrons, including an Aurora app that is available for download on Apple and Android devices. It will feature an interactive map and information about the art pieces, with options for you to share straight to social media.
The Presenting Sponsor for Aurora – Powered by Reliant is retail electricity and home services providers Reliant. The Dallas Foundation has also signed on as one of this year’s Cornerstone Sponsors. Additionally, the Dallas Morning News is returning as the Founding Media Partner.
