Institute For The Future

Code:ART will transform Downtown Palo Alto into a Laboratory for Urban Experimentation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Announcing Code:ART programming and calendar of events for June 1–3, 2017

Palo Alto, CA, May 23, 2017 – On Thursday, June 1, Code:ART will launch a three day public art event featuring eight new media installations that will reimagine downtown Palo Alto’s plazas, alleys and public spaces through interactive sound, light, and motion. The public will also be able to participate in a number of interactive performances, and is invited to attend an exciting opening event at the Institute for the Future. All installations will be easily walkable and accessible to the public during the event which runs from 1:30 - 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 1 and from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, June 2-3.

“Palo Alto is excited to have Code:ART reimagine and transform our downtown spaces, creating engaging discussions across a broad spectrum of citizens, commuters, and visitors exploring the future of downtown,” said James Keene, Palo Alto City Manager. “While we host many public meetings on a range of issues such as transportation, planning, open space and public art to City Hall, Code:ART will touch on all these topics while engaging an audience from students to seniors.”

Murmur Wall by Future Cities Lab will be the largest artwork on display at City Hall’s King Plaza. Not only will it anchor the three day festival and serve as a major draw to the downtown corridor, the interactive new media artwork will also visually activate downtown’s public space with a dynamic day and night presence for several months. Seven urban interventions will temporarily turn downtown into a laboratory for experimentation using light, sound, and community participation to engage the public in dialogue that can shape the future of the downtown corridor.
The featured creative teams include Danielle Aspitz, Autumn Austin, and Devon Meyers (Caustic Chasm); Mateo Garcia (Feng Shui: Flow of Energy); Ben Flatau (Ghost in the Machine); Elaine Uang, Sandra Slater and Megan Stevens (Sensory Garden); Tomo Saito (Safe and Sound); Kyu Kim and Hanna Joo (Architectural Pavilion); as well as Patricia McShane and Erik Adigard (StreeTALK).

Register now for the opening event!

Code:ART programming will commence at noon on June 1 with an opening event at the Institute for the Future (IFTF) featuring an “Artists as Futurists” discussion panel. The panelists will include Matthew Tiews , Associate Vice President for the Arts at Stanford University; Jon Moscone, YBCA Chief of Civic Engagement; Vinitha Watson, Founder of Zoo Labs; and artist Erik Adigard of M-A-D, whose Urban Intervention titled StreeTALK will be on display at the corner of 285 Hamilton Avenue. The IFTF opening event is free and open to the public with a prior RSVP:

 

“At IFTF, we think of cities as laboratories for the future. Artists are constantly looking at the world around them, and imagining possibilities, just like futurists do,” said Marina Gorbis, Executive Director for Institute for the Future. “They create work that raises questions, criticizes, or provokes us to consider alternatives. Code:ART provides an engaging platform for public imagination, igniting such discussions about the future and what’s possible.”

 

Rendering of StreeTALK, an Urban Intervention by Erik Adigard and Patricia McShane. StreeTALK is a participatory installation composed of community drawings and commentaries on possible futures for the city.

Artist Tomo Saito’s interactive sound installation Safe & Sound will join Murmur Wall at a site in King Plaza and will include two daily performances at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. where the public is invited to compose music in the public space. Participants will be able to create music by sitting in a series of musical chairs that trigger a sound track, that will create community generated music and spontaneous interaction.

Funding for Code:ART was made possible through the Art Works grant by the National Endowment for the Arts and the generous support provided by corporate sponsors including Houzz. Additional support is being provided by Institute for the Future, Palantir, and Verizon.

Visit cityofpaloalto.org/codeart to learn more about the event. Sign up for volunteering opportunities at:

signup.com/go/bdUOGwF

Contact Information:

Elise DeMarzo
Public Art Program Manager
650.617.3517
[email protected]

About the Palo Alto Public Art Program

The City of Palo Alto Public Art Program is committed to contributing to the intellectual, emotional, and creative life of the Palo Alto community by creating engaging art experiences and dynamic public spaces for Palo Alto residents and visitors. The Public Art Commission (PAC) reviews and advises the Public Art Program on selection, placement, and care of public art throughout the City of Palo Alto. To get the latest news on the public art projects and activities taking place around Palo Alto, visit cityofpaloalto.org/publicart.

About Institute for the Future

Institute for the Future (IFTF) is an independent, nonprofit strategic research group with almost 50 years of forecasting experience. The core of our work is identifying emerging discontinuities that will transform global society and the global marketplace. We provide organizations with insights into business strategy, design process, innovation, and social dilemmas. Our research spans a broad territory of deeply transformative trends, from health and health care to technology, the workplace, and human identity. IFTF is based in Palo Alto, California. For more, visit iftf.org.