Thursday, October 7, 2010

Artisphere is wonderful


Unlike other spheres, Rosslyn's Artisphere has many different curves and spaces. You enter through a diagonal walkway and stairs.  In a half-oval space just inside the entrance, the Artisan Center of Virginia will be selling fine handcrafts. Up the escalator is the the Town Square. It is not at all square.  The Town Square is pear-shaped, with a curving stairway ascending to an arc-shaped lounge.  The Dance Theatre on the far side of the Town Square is rectangular.  The Black Box Theatre is boxy.  The Terrace Gallery has a roughly triangular shape.  The Dome Theatre displays a large section of a sphere  All these curves and spaces will be accessible for your enjoyment at Artisphere's festive, free open house this Sunday and Monday.

Artisphere will officially open on Sunday, 10/10/10, at 10:10am.  At 11am, look for Sans Façon's "Limelight Saturday Night" video installation on the huge video wall spanning two floors of the Town Square.  The press/volunteer packet states:
In eight cities around the world, Scottish art collaborative Sans Façon has replaced a conventional streetlight with outdoor theatre spotlights, creating an open invitation to transform the street into a stage!  This simple intervention creates a witty forum for interaction, somewhere between spectacle and surveillance, whilst questioning our relationships with our built environment.
The Ode Street Tribune has received information suggesting that Sans Façon will be setting up this kind of stage on a street in Clarendon this Saturday.  Look for it on Saturday, and your neighbors on Artisphere's video wall on Sunday.

Some subsequent Artisphere events this Sunday:
  1. At 2:30pm in Artisphere's Ballroom, Joe Falero and the DC Latin Jazz All-Stars will playing greats of Latin jazz and hot salsa.
  2. At 4:00pm in Artisphere's Black Box Theatre, UrbanArias will present two mini operas, include Camera Obscura, "an amusing look at how a time lag wreaks havoc on a young couple's attempt to connect in the Internet age."
  3. From 9pm to 11pm, Chopteeth will be leading a dance party in the Ballroom.  Chopteeth is a "14-piece Afrofunk orchestra exploring the common groove beween the funkiest, most hip-shakin' West African and American popular music." 
Many other events will occur all day long.  Artisphere's Open House will extend through Monday evening.  Here's a schedule of performances for both days.  Complimenting the performances are art exhibits in three galleries.


Be sure to enjoy the lovely curves of Richard Vosseller's large, sensuous sculpture in the Terrace Gallery.  Earlier this week, expert skateboarders rode it.  A video of the action will available for viewing.  If you look carefully at the sculpture, you can see marks that the skateboards made on it.  Think of these marks as beauty marks.  This isn't a pedestal sculpture.  It's sculpture that gets down and participates in life's action.  Just like the irregular, inclusive, wonderful Artisphere.

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