Notes from: Pop-Up Gallery Installations

2021

In September 2021 there was an open 3500 sq. ft. corner space in a highly foot-trafficked and visible location. It took six weeks from start-to-finish to create the installation which included 10 projectors, including one outside.

Rather than using a conventional screen, one 20' x 12' wall projected two films; Florida Poet Laureate Peter Meinke’s poem Impermanent Blooms, which was the inspiration for Good Natured. H20 and Emily Dickinson's classic poem, Hope is a Thing with Feathers.

Along with the films, media produced was adapted to the walls, columns and ceiling giving the projections architectural dimension to transform the flat surfaces into dynamic 3-D art—filled with moving patterns, graphics, light and video in the darkened ‘pop-up’ gallery space (watch video walkthrough).

I create these light projection installations to engage with people as they are out on the town, after dinner and shopping to offer an unexpected and magical poetic art experience with nature. Over 400 people engaged with the installation over six, three-hour evenings. Wonderful conversations and spiritual insights were had with supportive feedback for future installations.

Project Launch October 2020

Beginning in late 2020 my first pop-up installation was held during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A visionary marketing director decided to work with artists to fill a few empty retail spaces at a shopping mall. My strategy had always included pop-up galleries and I relished the opportunity to create an installation for National Arts & Humanities month in October 2020.

The space was perfect, it wasn’t too large and there was a fantastic window display for a second projection area. On the nights I was in residence showing the films it was inside the gallery and on the nights I wasn’t there, the films ran in the window. Because there were multiple 3D objects already in the space, the projections took on a unique look.

~Lori H. Ersolmaz