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Dlectricity is a celebration of the wonder of light, technology, art and electricity—we can only imagine the wonder produced by electric light 111 years ago.

Detroit’s Electric Park opened to the public in 1906, on the west side of the Belle Isle bridge, now the site of Gabriel Richard Park. The park promised to bring attractions and entertainment surpassing the White City in Chicago of 1893, and the Detroit Free Press proudly proclaimed that “Rome with its seven hills will be a poor second to the roller coaster which is to be installed on the westerly side of the park.”

Check out more photos of Electric Park here

It’s only fitting that DTE Energy Foundation is the presenting sponsor of Dlectricity—they are one of the major forces (literally) electrifying Detroit. Their touch is felt everywhere in the city, from infrastructure to public programming to green space in Detroit.

Last month, DTE opened Beacon Park in Northwest Detroit, a 1.5-acre former gravel parking lot that is now a public park and event venue.

DTE is committed to public works and corporate citizenship. They partnered with the City of Detroit to make Detroit the largest city in the US with 100% LED public lighting. They are committed to reducing their carbon dioxide emissions to 75% below 2005 levels by 2040.

Their sponsorship of a festival based on light brings the company full circle in many respects. The incandescent bulb was first used in Detroit in 1883. In the 1890s, Henry Ford worked for the company that preceded DTE.

DTE serves 2.2 million customers with electric utility in southeastern Michigan and employs more than 10,000 people.

Thank you so much to DTE Energy for returning to sponsor Dlectricity—and for lighting up the city every night.

We are so excited to welcome Bluewater Technologies as both a creator and a sponsor at Dlectricity 2017!

The visitor becomes the artist with Bluewater’s interactive, ever-changing display for Dlectricity 2017. “Luminaria Magna” is a massive 25’ by 25’ square lightbox structure connected to pressure pads on the dance floor, turntables and other interactive elements that each control a different characteristic of the light. Local DJs will perform as festival visitors dance and engage with “Luminaria Magna” to create a unique display of energy efficient LED light.

Bluewater’s impressive technology work is on display now as part of the Detroit Historical Museum’s “Detroit ‘67: Perspectives” exhibit. Along with two other local tech companies, Bluewater was commissioned by the Museum to use advanced video and projection tools to create an immersive experience for viewers. The company also supports local artists, commissioning Detroit-based Antonio “Shades” Agee to design interpretive graffiti murals for their office spaces.

As a company, Bluewater places emphasis on strategy, creativity and innovation. Bluewater creates live event and AV technology experiences for strong brands, working with agencies, producers, exhibit houses, architects and consultants. The company is committed to flawless execution, pushing boundaries and providing an experience beyond technology to their clients and partners.

Thank you so much to Bluewater for bringing energy, music and light to Midtown—be sure to take a spin on the dance floor! #BWMoves

“Luminaria Magna” will be located on the grounds of Wayne State University at Woodward and Warren. Thank you so much to WSU for hosting this project!

Check out their tech work at the Detroit Historical Museum.

Check them out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Using recycled materials and hands-on workshops, Detroit-based organization Arts & Scraps brings accessible art to the people. Particularly serving children in low-income areas, Arts & Scraps provides education and creative experience with an emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.

Ang, Trice Clark, Brian Quintilla and David King from the Arts & Scraps team are bringing the interactive workshop “Light as a Shadow” to the “Electric Park” family-friendly zone at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Workshop participants will create a character out of Arts & Scraps materials and then use that character to cast shadows on the projection wall. Participants will also have the chance to experiment with color mixing and shadow. By combining artistic creation and the phenomena of light, “Light as a Shadow” provides creative education for all ages.

The Arts & Scraps founders saw a need for art programs with affordable materials in the Detroit community, which they have been providing since 1989. Arts & Scraps recycles 28 tons of materials and serves 275,000 children every year, while fulfilling their mission to connect business, education and community.

Thank you so much to the DIA for hosting this project!

Check out a profile on the organization from the Detroit News in 2015 here.

Donate to Arts & Scraps here, or with items from home here.

Make a wire-car and cruise with them for DLECTRICITY on September 22-23, 2017! The Wire-car Auto Workers Association (WAWAD) is running workshops every Sunday till September 3, 2017 at the Zimbabwe Cultural Centre of Detroit. They will show you how to make your dream car out of wire, style it up and cruise with them.

Please bring any pliers you have, work gloves, safety glasses and the basic wire:
1. 100 ft. Plastic-Coated Galvanized Wire ($8.98 at HomeDepot)
2. a spool of 16-20 gauge wire.
3. workclothes.
4. Images or drawings of your dream car! (A sketch book with a pen or pencil is a good idea)

They will provide strong 9 gauge wire for the, axels, shaft and bottom outline of your car, as well as rubber for the wheels. Make your body and they will help you build the wheels for you,

Upcoming Workshops:
Aug 13, Aug 20, Aug 27, and September 3 | Each day from 2:00-5:00 p.m.

The Zimbabwe Cultural Centre of Detroit is located at:
3341 Cody St
Hamtramck, MI 48212

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The Wire-Car Auto Workers Association of Detroit (WAWAD) is an organization that hosts workshops to teach people how to make toy cars out of wire, a tradition that founder Chido Johnson learned while growing up in Africa. Woodward Avenue is where the first cars ever cruised, so after moving to Detroit, Johnson felt inspired to bring the wire-car, inspired by the presence of American cars in Africa, back to the very road where the whole industry began.

After becoming a 2009 Kresge Artist Fellow in the visual arts, Johnson began holding workshops to teach people how to craft their own wire-cars, sharing the tradition with a wider audience. Since then, WAWAD has held many workshops and cruises in communities in and around metro Detroit. Most recently, they cruised as part of Detroit’s Marche du Nain Rouge in March of this year.

WAWAD aims to bridge the gap between cultures and bring people together to make a connection. We are so excited to host a wire-car cruise during Dlectricity, set to take place outside the Detroit Institute of Arts Farnsworth entrance.

If you can’t make it to one of their workshops, check out the information on the WAWAD website for guidance on how to craft a wire-car on your own here.

Thanks again to the Detroit Institute of Arts for hosting this project and WAWAD for hosting these workshops—we can’t wait to see everyone cruise!

Martin Creed’s piece “Work No. 790: EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT” (2007) will return to the façade of MOCAD for Dlectricity 2017!

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of MOCAD’s founding. The first time the piece was shown, as part of one of MOCAD’s earliest exhibitions in 2007, it reminded people to stay positive despite the negative perceptions of the city. Now, brought back as part of Dlectricity, the sign celebrates Detroit’s thriving art community and looks forward to the future with hope.

Martin Creed is a globally renowned artist based in London who won the Turner Prize in 2001. “EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT” has been shown in locations around the world and will remain on the façade of MOCAD after the end of Dlectricity.

If you happen to be in Europe, there are plenty of opportunities to see Creed’s work in action this summer. Be sure to catch him at the Edinburgh International Festival putting on live performances August 4-28, or check out Creed’s permanent installation on the Scotsman Steps in Edinburgh, a restoration and public art piece.

Between now and May 2018, see his sculpture “Work No. 2814” on display in a tree at the corner of Bishopsgate and Wormwood Street in London as part of London Sculpture in the City 2017.

He will also be performing as part of CHART Art Fair, opening September 1 in Copenhagen.

Support for this facade installation is generously provided by the Applebaum Family Compass Fund, the A. Alfred Taubman Foundation, Spectrum Neon, and Gavin Brown’s enterprise.

Check out this interview with Creed about his residency at the Edinburgh International Festival here and here.

Check out MOCAD’s press release about the return of Creed’s piece here.

Check out Creed in his own words here.

D MET Design returns for a third Dlectricity!

“{The Amazing!} House of Fog: il Cinema Nebbiosio,” brings the fun-house to the 21st century using light and technology. Inspired by amusement park attractions from a time when electric light and motion pictures were things of wonder, “{The Amazing!} House of Fog” is intended for people of all ages to enjoy the beauty and miracle of technology.

Led by husband and wife team Joel Schmidt and Liz Skrisson, D MET has won awards for their home, commercial office and retail interior design. Schmidt also works as a lecturer in Architecture at the University of Michigan, and Skrisson is LEED accredited in Building Design and Construction.

You can see their award-winning design and architecture work on display around the city. Check it out at 4130 Cass Avenue (exterior architecture and interior architecture of La Feria Spanish Tapas), Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co. (architecture, interior design, furniture design), and Canine to Five Doggy Daycare (façade renovation).

You may remember their projects “Mike Teavee: ‘Am I coming in Clear?’” from Dlectricity 2014 and “Frontier Town: A Tent Camp for Children in the Urban Wild” from 2012.

D MET’s project will be located in the family-friendly “Electric Park” zone on the lawn of the Detroit Institute of Arts at Woodward and Kirby. Thank you so much to the DIA for hosting this project! Other projects in “Electric Park” include Carrie Morris’ “The Shadow Puppet Circus Sideshow” and Arts & Scraps’ “Light as a Shadow.”

Check out an interview with Joel and Liz from Dlectricity 2014 here!

Klip Collective is a Philadelphia-based experiential art collective that works to combine live-action narrative with visual projection. They create interactive, experiential and virtual reality experiences.

Some of their recent art commissions include trailers for the Sundance Film Festival and a residency at BOK, a technical-school-turned-creative-hub in Philadelphia. Klip also created a 3D mapping installation at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA spreading over the landscape and leading viewers on an immersive journey. Check it out here, and pictured at left! Check out another Klip 3D mapping project from 2015 at Philadelphia City Hall here.

This year, the collective has been featured in Entrepreneur and The Philadelphia Inquirer for their work in virtual reality with Honeygrow, a restaurant using a Klip-designed program to train new employees.

Combining technology and art in an elegant way, Klip Collective is a natural fit for Dlectricity. Their project “The Librarian” will bring a parable for the Information Age, an interactive story projected onto the façade of the Detroit Public Library about a chaotic shift for a librarian that unfolds for observers through x-ray viewers.

Be sure to stop by and check out the relief wall they created on view at the House Industries exhibit at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, through September 4! By scanning pages from the exhibition catalogue (they also designed the bracing pattern on the cover), they were able to projection map the content onto the wall. If you can’t make it there, check it out on the project on Instagram as well, @klipcollective.

Thanks so much to the Detroit Public Library for hosting this project!

Jasmine Murrell is coming to Dlectricity 2017, and she is definitely someone to keep your eye on right now. A native Detroiter, Murrell participated in a group show at Detroit Artists Market in January of this year. In February, she was named one of Time’s “12 African American Photographers to Follow Right Now.” In March, she participated in New York’s all-woman “Whitney Houston Biennial,” a salon-style show that is an alternative to the Whitney Biennial and contemporary art survey shows that overwhelmingly represent male artists. Murrell currently has work on view in the Bronx Museum’s “Bronx Calling: The Fourth AIM Biennial.”

“Ancient Future,” one of the works Murrell is bringing to Dlectricity 2017, is inspired by the indestructible spirit of the black body despite trauma, subjugation and historical erasure. Shedding a light on ancient hair forms through contemporary light-activated headdresses, the pieces will be used during scheduled performances and then viewers will have the chance to try the headdresses on themselves.

“Immortal Uterus,” Murrell’s other work, takes its name and inspiration from the story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American sharecropper whose cervical cancer cells were stolen and used for research that led to the first polio vaccine and countless other medical breakthroughs. Her cells created a multibillion dollar industry and saved millions of lives, yet she and her family received no compensation or recognition.

A vast sculpture made of yards of nameless VHS film, “Immortal Uterus” is intended to replicate both the anonymity and scale of the contributions Lacks made to modern medicine. The anonymous, massive black womb envelops viewers up entry as if passing into another world. A sound is emitted inside the installation, created to constantly multiply and crescendo to infinity, just like Lacks’ cells.

Murrell’s work will be on display at the N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art. Thanks so much to the N’Namdi Center for hosting this awesome project!

Check out a questionnaire with Jasmine Murrell here

 

The Dlectricity Light Bike Parade is back on September 23 @ dark/around 8pm!

A parade of riders, a mobile art installation, a 4-mile ride through Midtown Detroit FREE to the public, and a show of light bike artistry for everyone to enjoy—the Light Bike Parade is one of the highlights of Dlectricity and your opportunity to be part of art in motion.

The parade starts on the campus of Wayne State University, winding its way through Midtown where the public will line the streets and enjoy the light show.

Start planning your bike light decorations now—our judges will select the best decorations in these categories, with PRIZES for the winners:

• Most Creative Adult Bike Light Display
• Most Artistic Bike Light Display
• Most Creative Youth Bike Display (under 12)
• Most Unique Bicycle Helmet Decoration
• Best Team Themed Bike Light Exhibit (between 4-6 bikes)
• Most Original Family Bike Light Exhibit (Adult/Kids)

Come with your bike already illuminated, or grab a limited light kit the day of the ride (available to those who pre-register and on a first-come, first-served basis).

In 2014 we had over 1,500+ bikes participate in the parade—we expect similar numbers this year.

Please register officially online at EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2017-dlectricity-light-bike-parade-rolling-light-exhibit-registration-34550527558

On-site registration begins at 6:00pm. The staging area is Wayne State University’s Gullen Mall. The route is not yet finalized, but the parade will begin when it gets dark, around 8:00pm.

The Dlectricity Light Bike Parade is sponsored by Shinola Detroit and Wheelhouse Detroit.

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Interested in volunteering for the Light Bike Parade?

We have a number of positions to cover, including:

• Bike Parade Set Up/Clean Up: Assist with set up for bike parade registration and clean up of bike parade start location once ride commences.
• Registration/Check-In: Registration check-in and light kit distribution.
• Info Booth/ Participant Support: Interact with riders as they prepare and wait for the ride to commence. Provide answers to any questions, help with decorations, and get riders lined up once decorated.
• Ride Monitors: Ride with parade to keep speeds down, as well as check and assist with any safety issues.
• Route Street Monitors: Support riders crossing at key intersection and assist riders in maintaining a flow within the group.
• Parade Clean-Up: Follow parade route and assist with pick-up of debris left along the route.

To sign up or for more information, please email or call:

[email protected] | (313) 420-6000