Client: BLINK

Overview

Welcome to Arborealis – an alleyway transformed from a typical urban streetscape into a magical, glowing forest of light and shadow. The wooden structure fills 12 x 12 x 20′ feet of Sellew Alley, and over three thousand leaf-like shapes cut from synthetic paper sway overhead, enhanced by a kaleidoscope of swirling colored lights. Silhouettes of insects and tiny critters surprise the more observant viewers. The affect is further enhanced by a looped recording of chirping crickets and frogs, making the visitors feel as though they’ve stepped under a forest canopy.

Goals

BLINK is one of the largest light, art and projection mapping events in the nation.This four-day event took place in downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky in October of 2019, spanning more than 30 city blocks. BLINK turned the region into an outdoor art museum with large-scale projection mapping installations, murals, and immersive art. As part of this light-based art festival, Arborealis activated a dark alley near Cincinnati's historic Findlay Market. Visitors discovered this semi-hidden treasure as they explored the festival, and it was often commented that the environment created by this sculpture was an oasis of tranquility in the midst of a bustling event.

Process

The artist worked in collaboration with public arts and workforce development non-profit, ArtWorks to make this piece come alive as part of the BLINK festival. The team at ArtWorks helped jury and manage all of the sculpture and performance elements of the festival. They also worked with the Cincinnati Regional Chamber to secure permits and support all artists.

Additional Information

On the Friday night of the BLINK festival, a couple was married under the canopy of Jessica Wolf's Arborealis sculpture. The story was featured on several local news outlets: https://tinyurl.com/sktk7ht