Night Forms, presented by Grounds for Sculpture (GFS), in Hamilton Township, collaborated with Klip Collective founder, Ricardo Rivera, to bring the sculpture park to life for the third and final year from November 2023 to April 2024. Admission fees were $30 per person.
The sculpture park, popular for its variety of contemporary sculptures, was transformed into an immersive experience of 13 site-specific instillations full of vibrant lights and various custom sounds.
Rivera produces these optical illusions incorporating sound design, lighting, and projection mapping which uses projectors and specialized software to warp images to fit specific objects perfectly all with the specific location in mind.
In an interview with the VOICE, he said, “I started focusing on doing these large-scale outdoor art experiences like 8 years ago we were just making it up, now it’s like a whole industry which is kind of cool.”
According to Rivera, he prefers not to assign too many words to his work because he wants viewers to interpret his art for what it is, not what someone else dictates.
He said, “It’s kinda like a dream that you wake up from that was really cool, but you can’t really remember anything. That’s the kind of art I want to make, I love that.”
Upon arrival, the line of cars waiting to continue through the toll booth was pouring into the street backed up in both directions on Sculptors Way.
“cheat.code,” one of the 13 instillations, enabled viewers to actively contribute to the instillation.
Participants could press buttons and move a joystick to set off slight changes. However, if viewers understand the hint provided within the interactive map accessed by scanning a QR code at the entrance, and enter the Konami Cheat Code, popular in old school 80’s videogames, into the controller atop a nearby obelisk, a serendipitous audiovisual show otherwise unseen begins.
The obelisk is opposite the path connecting the instillations, so if viewers do not take the time to thoroughly examine the sculpture and space entirely, it could be overlooked.
The sculpture, “Dorion,” a large three-pointed, stainless steel, 3D apparatus which appears to be floating is breathtaking, but the reflection into the water and colorful simulation adds an otherworldly element making it even more so.
Rivera said, “It’s like a movie where you’re the main character instead of watching a main character on a screen.”
Ron and Robin Gordon, who had also been to the first year of the Night Forms trilogy, were left in such awe they decided to come back before it was gone.
Ron said, “This adds a sort of movement to [the sculptures], it’s amazing. I think I saw the word immersive. Yeah, it’s definitely immersive.”
Robin said, “It’s just so unusual, you wonder how they do all the different lighting.”
She continued, “The one with the joystick thing that controlled the lights, that was really cool.”
Though Froghead Rainbow, in the GFS amphitheater, with the Oligarchs, consisting of 10 individual humanlike sculptures overlooking the space, was not interactive, it was the most playful instalationn, with rainbows flowing from the statue’s mouths, and even incorporated frog sounds found in GFS field recordings.
Viewers, especially children, ran across the rows of rectangular stones aligned in a slight curve that would light up in unison with the audio beat like a piano. After the upbeat music concludes an error message appears along with an hourglass that flashes to a construction zoning sign accompanied by a telemarketer message often heard when placed on hold.
Rivera said, “I always say like, I want people to be driving back from this thing just like what did I just see? Yeah. Just kind of thinking about it. To me, that’s good.”
The variety and randomness was attained in each instillation, from soothing calm oasis like features to more adventurous and collectively added to the nonsensical essense of the exhibition.
Cheyanne Starr, second year Liberal Arts major at MCCC, also attended Night Forms, but with her mother, Kristin Reitz a couple of months prior. Though it was raining, Starr enjoyed her experience.
Starr said, “I’ve obviously seen projectors before, but I’ve never seen it mapped onto like, physical objects with those physical objects in mind, you know. I really liked that they added the ambience with the music and everything.”
Reitz, however, was much less impressed. She said, “I feel that they charge to much for just a bunch of lights going on statues and monuments.”
Reitz did feel if there were more interactive installations like “cheat.code,” she would have had a better experience.
Rivera had a similar inclination and attempted to make Froghead Rainbow interactive the second year of Night Forms.
He said, “I took ‘frog head rainbow’ out and I made it an interactive thing with xylophones, and it failed miserably in my opinion. It just sounded like shit.”
According to GFS press materials, 3 years was the right time to take a pause to consider other ways to highlight the grounds.
Rivera says he plans to continue producing site-specific art.
He said, “Hopefully we’ll keep getting closer and closer to that impressionable fucked up crazy dream you just can’t stop thinking about, but yet can’t really remember what actually happened.”
