Photo courtesy of Streets Dept
Look Up, Look In
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Philadelphia, PA
What does it mean to take an idea and multiply it? How does scope impact process? How do we preserve the preciousness of one object when it becomes ten? twenty? fifty? What if all things were infinitely scalable if we only dared to “Look Up, Look In.” A phrase that encapsulates and entitles artist Karina Puente Arts International’s Papel Picado installation at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Karina Puente Arts International’s largest installation to date.
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, the Kimmel Center’s mission is “To engage the region’s diverse communities with art through performance and education.”
Look Up, Look In was curated by Jay Wahl to compliment the work of Mexican designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena, Los Trompos. These interactive technicolor sculptures were created by artisans in Mexico City using traditional weaving methods.
The intent behind Look Up, Look in is a feeling of joy and spark of inspiration. A transmission of the energy felt while creating the work and when looking up into the airspace of the Kimmel Center. The plaza is an ideal space for the work to exist, because of the architecture and the quality of light. The sun and sky become a part of the installation allowing it live, breathe and change in real time. Each visitor will arrive to the Kimmel Center and have their very own experience. Playing along with the exhilaration and fun of the Los Trompos interactive pieces, a joyful, positive and inquisitive outlook will be the main takeaway.
“It is exhilarating to pair the work of a local Mexican-American artist in the air
with the spinning sculptures from Mexico City of Los Trompos on the ground –
giving us all a chance to celebrate and recognize these two traditional crafts
and having it all come together to bring our Plaza to life,” said Jay Wahl,
Producing Artistic Director of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Photo courtesy of Streets Dept
