For this year’s IGNITE Broward Art & Light Festival, the city of Hollywood joins in the free celebration of immersive and experiential art on the cutting edge along the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach.
IGNITE runs from Friday, Feb. 14 through Thursday, Feb. 23.
Five light-based installations will be placed in ArtsPark at Young Circle, including the marquee piece, “Aeonium,” a sculpture by South Africa-born artist Daniel Popper.
The 16-foot-tall sculpture, which is lit at night by projection mapping that generates colorful, shifting patterns, debuted at the most recent edition of the EDC Orlando dance music festival in November. It depicts a female figure, made from what looks like cracked and decaying wood, out of which grow the titular aeonium succulent plants, also known as tree houseleeks.
Popper says the piece is inspired by the resilience of nature.
“That piece is in line with a lot of the other projects that I do with regards to my fascination with Mother Nature,” says Popper. “I’m always looking at ways of interpreting that theme.”
Popper’s ability to create the large-scale sculptures has taken him around the world, with recent projects in Cancun, Greece, Bali, and the California desert. Several of his sculptures can be seen in South Florida, including “Lumen” in Miami’s Wynwood and “Thrive” at Society Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale.
The artist was inspired to take up sculpture after attending the Burning Man festival in Nevada and AfrikaBurn in South Africa.
“I always found a way to participate in them, and it always enabled me to continue to go to them. And the more I did, the more I wanted to do more, and the more of them that I attended, the more inspired I got to create these immersive experiences for festival goers,” he says.
The improvisational structure and anarchic creativity found at these events, in which attendees bring their own supplies and assemble an entire settlement from scratch, has given rise to such monumental, often temporary artworks at more mainstream events.
This might be why Popper’s work is so in demand at events like EDC, or Electric Daisy Carnival, whose flagship event in Las Vegas is the largest electronic dance music festival in North America. Popper has also created sculptures for Mo:Dem Festival in Croatia, Art With Me in Tulum, Mexico, and other events.
“To have someone of his calibre be part of the community, for both residents and visitors, is beyond thrilling and exactly what we were hoping for,” says Arlene Borenstein, communications manager with the City of Hollywood Office of Communications, Marketing, and Economic Development.
IGNITE has also chosen Hollywood for its kickoff event. The festivities begin on Tuesday, Feb. 14 with a performance by local duo LIZ’NBOW, Liz Ferrer and Bow Ty, who will also exhibit their piece “El Mundo es Mágico” at the fair; the multimedia artists most recently showed at Locust Projects in Miami.
The festival also coincides with the City of Hollywood’s 100th anniversary. According to Borenstein the city has several projects coming up relating to IGNITE, including a long-planned expansion of the Arts and Culture Center/Hollywood.
“We were more than excited to join IGNITE as part of our centennial celebration,” says Borenstein. “We have an unwavering commitment to the arts and want to make sure the arts are accessible to all.”
Other artists exhibiting in Young Circle include Javier Riera, whose work involves projection mapping of geometric patterns; sedemminut of Slovakia, who will install their Keith Haring-esque neon light display “For Peace!”; and the English duo Loop, whose interactive sculptures incorporate light and sound. Loop will also display a second piece at Esplanade Park, IGNITE’s main location, which will include 12 installations. Mad Arts, the digital and immersive art museum in Dania Beach, serves as the third location.
IF YOU GO
WHAT :
IGNITE Broward Festival
WHEN:
Friday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, Feb. 23; Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood locations: Weekday hours are from 6 to 10 p.m., with extended hours until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; Dania Beach: noon to 10 p.m.
TICKETS:
Free, but reservation suggested
WHERE:
Esplanade Park and Riverwalk, Fort Lauderdale, 400 SW 2nd St., Fort Lauderdale
Mad Arts, Dania Beach, 481 S. Federal Hwy, Dania Beach
ArtsPark at Young Circle, Hollywood, 1 N. Young Circle, Hollywood
INFORMATION:
IGNITEBroward.com and
ignitebroward.com/quick_guide
