Anyone driving in the vicinity of the Marcus Performing Arts Center this past week has no doubt feasted their eyes on the majestic floral art display that dawns on the front lawn of the iconic Milwaukee theater.
This year’s attendees of the Marcus PAC’s “Rainbow Summer” music festival have a unique opportunity to witness firsthand an inflatable spectacle known as “Lost.” Created by artist Amanda Parer from Australia, “Lost” consists of three structures made of printed nylon, each rising to be between nine and sixteen feet tall. The entire piece encompasses a total of 2,100 square feet. Erica Green, Chief Operating Officer at the Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), says the piece is designed to give viewers the feeling that they have shrunk down to the size of plants.
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“The installation is really meant to make the visitor feel like they are Alice in Wonderland,” Green said. She added that the inflatables allow for a use of vertical space that impacts visitors’ perceptions of the space around them.
“When you bring in this monumental inflatable artwork, it draws the eye in a new way. It encourages someone to take note of the possibility of space, but then also the environment surrounding it.”
The inflatable pieces are designed to showcase extinct and endangered floral species around the globe. Some of the species represented include white paper daisies (Argentipallium Dealbatum) and wax flowers (Philotheca Freciana).
The structures are illuminated internally with LED lighting, making for a spectacle unique to the evening hours. Green says this added feature creates a sense of magic unique to the evening hours.
“We get a lot of kids and families who enjoy this installation,” Green said. “And I think that’s because it is colorful, it’s bright, it offers the chance to experience artwork in the evening in a really unique way.”
Green hopes that this exhibit helps bring attention to the many permanent art exhibits that downtown Milwaukee has to offer, saying artwork is part of what makes Milwaukee such a unique city.
“We have a lot of permanent art [downtown Milwaukee], and I think that this helps reflects our thriving artistic culture and creative culture here in Milwaukee,” Green said.
Amanda Parer’s “Lost” is on display on the ground of the Marcus Center for Performing Arts as part of their “Rainbow Summer” festival. It will be on display until the festival concludes on Sunday, July 20.
