Snarkitecture, Burning Man, and Fractal Worlds

Updated April 22, 2020

On September 2, 2018, my friends and I set out to visit three very much talked about exhibits in Washington, D.C.: Snarkitecture's Fun House, Burning Man's No Spectators, and Artechouse's Fractal Worlds. 

NOTE: These exhibits are no longer available, though the buildings, themselves, routinely host plenty of amazing exhibits! Check out their links, throughout this article, for what is currently “on” and upcoming!

SNARKITECTURE: FUN HOUSE @ NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM

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According to the National Building Museum website, Founded in 2008 by Alex Mustonen and Daniel Arsham, and joined by partner Benjamin Porto in 2014, Snarkitecture is a New York- based collaborative practice operating between art and architecture. Best known for their playful approach to material and the reinterpretation of everyday objects and environments—from the raw, yet refined interiors of various Kith and COS stores to immersive installations at Salone del Mobile, the New Museum, Design Miami, and more—the studio’s tenth anniversary represents an opportune time to explore past work in a brand new format.

You have one hour to get through the house and the pool area, and they have crowd control down to a science. There was plenty of room to walk around, take pictures, and enjoy the house, which went relatively fast.

The house was absolutely incredible to walk through, but what amused me more than anything was the pool area.  Before I get to why, I wanted to mention that this pool area used 130,000 of the plastic balls leftover from the DuPont Underground's Re-Ball: Raise/Raize, which was a repurpose of Snarkitecture's Beach.  I thought it was cool they brought that back. 

Back to the real amusement... it came from the natural social behavior of the parents who brought their kids.  While I couldn't bring myself to take pictures of it, they were sitting in the beach chairs, scrolling on their phones, while the kids played in the "pools".  Meanwhile, the kids were jumping in and out of the pools like they were going swimming.  It was really funny to watch these pre-conditioned behaviors.

NO SPECTATORS: THE ART OF BURNING MAN @ RENWICK GALLERY

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I'll be the first to admit that I've always wanted to go to Burning Man.  I think there's something beautiful in people's artistic side being set free.  But, for now, I'll settle on seeing some of the most iconic pieces much closer to home.

No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man is an unforgettable exhibit with two floors of the most incredible art installations, that tells a story of what it's all about.

As we walked through the exhibits, there was something very peaceful and commanding about these installations. And through sheer people watching, it was interesting to see so many people, from so many backgrounds, be delighted by what they're missing out on :)

FRACTAL WORLDS @ ARTECHOUSE

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Artechouse is the brainchild of friends Sandro Keresa and Tati Pastukhova.  While they've been bringing unique and innovative art concepts to D.C. for years, Artechouse is the first of its kind, bringing together art, technology, and science to create beauty everyone can appreciate. 

Tip: Download the Artechouse App, and make sure both wi-fi and bluetooth are turned on during the experience.  Also make sure you accept all access while the app is running.

The tour starts with the main room, which has two-story screen projecting the Fractal World from several projectors in every which direction.  You grab a bean bag chair, lay back, and listen to the music as you watch the images change.  Tip: Make sure to use the app if you want to record it in more of a 3-D format.

When you're ready, you can go left to the virtual reality room (powered by Oculus) to experience your own personal Fractal World, set to electronic music.  It was my favorite part of the exhibit, because it felt like I was in a club, on a spaceship. Or, you can head to the right to watch Fractal World from a different view - a large concave bowl, that when you use the app, it comes alive in a 3-D experience.

When you’re done, head to the bar for a virtual experience, where you can order cocktails, via a virtual reality menu.

Tip: Artechouse changes out their exhibits every six months.