Greenpoint’s highly-anticipated experiential arts venue, Arts District Brooklyn (AD/BK), is finally open as of Thursday, July 28! We got to experience it in person beforehand, and it’s truly one of the most mesmerizing art experiences we’ve ever witnessed.
The massive, 25,000-square-foot footprint is a true boon for the neighborhood (and it’s permanent, no temporary pop-ups here!), transforming a reclaimed warehouse near the East River. Its first exhibit is the astonishing “Limitless AI,” a reimagining and expansion of the award-winning global sensation “Poetic AI,” seen by millions worldwide.
Created by renowned contemporary Turkish artists Ferdi Alici and Eylul Alici of Ouchhh Studio, the 60-minute show takes up 10,000 square feet of the space, and features over 60 4K laser projectors plus cutting-edge sound design.
With swirling colors and lights all around you in 360 degrees — plus fully on the floors as well, making it a complete, multi-dimensional experience — we felt like we were walking through different dimensions and galaxies (yes, you can freely roam about the space as the show is going on!).
As its name implies, “Limitless AI” was created by feeding an artificial intelligence algorithm vast datasets of painting, science, and nature — including 15 billion Leonardo da Vinci paintings and brushstrokes, and millions of physics textbooks from Galileo to Stephen Hawking.
The show combines five chapters of the artists’ work, which are:
- Poetic AI, Ouchhh’s famed 2018 Paris exhibition
- Leonardo da Vinci: Wisdom of AI Light, showcasing artificial intelligence’s own expression of the works of Leonardo da Vinci and the great Italian Renaissance masters
- Data Gate, featuring research from NASA’s Kepler space telescope
- Dark Machines, featuring data gathered from the Large Hadron Collider at CERN
- Superstrings, a live musical performance at every show with a real-time projection of the performer’s brainwave activity
In addition to this technological masterpiece, there are two additional experiences — not for the faint of heart! “Flight” and “Séance” are both intense, immersive, audio experiences with 360-degree sound, presented in complete and utter darkness. This is their U.S. premiere as well, as they have already played to sold-out houses in the UK, Australia, Mexico and South Korea!
“Flight“ is a thrilling exploration where guests are invited to step inside a 40-foot shipping container that’s been transformed into an aircraft for the most heart-racing flight…without ever leaving the ground.
The experience was so truly immersive, we completely forgot we weren’t actually on a plane! Being in total darkness awakes your other senses and makes you that much more aware of all the details. You can even almost feel a weightlessness when the flight “takes off.” We almost expected to walk off and suddenly be in another country or state…
“Séance,” on the other hand, is for the thrill seekers looking to be transported to a Victorian séance where guests can go on a spine-chilling auditory adventure. Prepare for all expectations to be shattered.
AD/BK is located at 25 Franklin Street in Greenpoint. It’s the perfect new NYC activity for a summer (…or fall, or winter, or spring) night! There’s even a lovely outdoor patio space perfect for the warm weather, with a café serving food & beverage in the works.