Navy Pier is a haven for local art and culture. New and unique exhibits are always coming into the iconic pier. Loop is one such exhibit.
Loop is an interactive art piece by popular artists Olivier Girouard and Jonathan Villeneuve, known for their many public artworks across Canada, in collaboration with creative studio Ottoblix. This exhibit consists of thirteen large illuminated wheel devices. They are large enough for two people to comfortably sit in each.. In between where you would sit there is a metal lever. Like with a railroad handcar, two people push and pull the lever to keep the wheel moving. Instead of moving the entire wheel, the lever rolls illuminated pictures around you creating the illusion of movement. This is very similar to (and perhaps a homage to) Kinetoscopes, Zootropes, and Mutoscopes, which were there original movies before film was a thing. The modern-day equivalent would be a flip book.
Each ‘Loop’ tells its own unique story based off iconic fairy tales. You can really see the artist’s influence in the way the animation. In addition to this, each wheel has its own music. The speed at which the lever is pulled determines how fast the images and the music plays. It’s a pleasant experience for children discovering fairy tales and nostalgic adults alike.
This free event is open to the public from February 28th to May 12th in the Polk Bros Park. Take a seat, start churning, and get thrown for a Loop. If I had a nickel for every time I heard that.
Learn more about Navy Pier on their website and read about more about what’s new in Chicago on our blog.
