Wow! I had an amazing time visiting the new, immersive art space in Miami called Superblue.
After going to the Van Gogh exhibit in May and Artechouse earlier this year—I was already hooked on these types of spaces. But this one totally takes the cake!
The experience is reasonably priced and not so popular that it can’t be enjoyed safely as we continue to experience high cases of COVID-19 in South Florida. You’ll just want to follow some of my “pro tips” in this post to have the best experience possible!
What Is Superblue?
Superblue is a new, immersive art space near Wynwood, at the edge of the Allapattah neighborhood of Miami.
Tickets for Superblue cost $36. There’s an add-on exhibit for an extra $12 which I highly recommend.
My ticket was timed for 6pm on a Friday, which I found to be a great, less traffic-heavy time to go through the exhibit. By 7-8pm there were more people.
The space currently requires masks. Because the tickets are timed, it does space out the number of people going through at once. It was not crowded at all while I was there (even through 8pm) so I felt safe walking through especially as a vaccinated person.
Gift Shop Fun
I don’t normally go into gift shops anywhere. The reason is that I don’t need overpriced but cheaply made souvenirs that are not from the local area anyway.
I do enjoy poking around museum and art gallery gift shops, however. The Superblue gift shop is definitely a good one.
My friend and I had some time to kill as we waited for our other friends, so we checked it out. It’s definitely worth it, as there are some nice little art pieces and art-inspired gifts to ogle. Many were made by the Superblue family of artists—and were rightfully priced on the more expensive side!
I had no intentions of buying anything, though, so price didn’t matter. I just enjoyed browsing. One of my favorites was finding Andy Warhol in a “Where’s Warhol?” book!
Exhibit 1: Meadow
Walking into Superblue, you’re immediately met with “Meadow,” the first exhibit just beyond the staff collecting tickets. Meadow is by DRIFT, a studio in Amsterdam founded in 2007 by Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta.
This was such a beautiful display! I interpreted this installation as a meadow of blooming flowers. They seemed almost randomly timed but sometimes in unison as they opened and closed, turning on and fading out their lights with each turn.
Pro Tips: Listen. They make a beautiful whirring sound as they open and close. Also, be patient and ready to snap your photos when they open all together.
Exhibit 2: Massless Clouds
Our group all geared up and ready to enter the first exhibit by teamLab
teamLab is a studio of artists in Tokyo that was founded in 2001. Their “Massless Clouds” exhibit is an add-on experience for $12 at Superblue. It’s the first exhibit you walk through after Meador and before experiencing the rest of Superblue.
You get a poncho, booties for around your feet, and goggles to wear inside. You will get wet from the soap if you don’t gear up or dress for it. Although, if you don’t experience a little wet and soapiness, you probably didn’t fully immerse yourself in this exhibit!
Upon entering, one of the staff told us to “Make your own path!” I realized there were pathways through the “clouds” from others who entered before us. So I decided to follow instructions—I turned and headed right into the clouds.
I also played with the soapy bubble masses - pushing them around and up into the air like fluffy, weightless snow.
Photography is really fun inside this exhibit!
Pro Tips: To experience this exhibit best, don’t wear a long dress, pants, or shoes you care about. They will get wet because the poncho only covers to about halfway down your shin. Also, try backing into bubbles to carve your path instead of going in face first. If you do, don’t breathe in deeply anywhere in this exhibit. The substance is nontoxic but it does irritate the throat while walking around in it especially when immersed. We were a little cough-y from it—good thing we had our masks!
Below is a video of my experience with both Meadow and Massless Clouds:
Exhibit 3: Life Survives By The Power Of Life
On the way into the next area is a really cool art piece (also by teamLab) that you might almost miss if not looking. This digital art piece is hanging on the wall to the left on the way into the next large room.
Standing next to the exhibit is a staff member there to explain what it is. Life Survives by the Power of Life is a digital, 3D, 8K video rendering of the Japanese character for life, 生 (sei). The character is shaped by a tree branch.
The tree branch is actively evolving through all 4 seasons. As it renders, it grows and adds on more parts of the tree. The piece is meant to reflect the “indivisible state of the self and nature and the reality that existences that appear to be distinct are actually part of a single whole.”
Below is a video showing close up the detail of the 8k video!
Exhibit 4: Universe of Water Particles / Flowers And People
One of the big draws to Superblue is the massive light exhibit by teamLab. This exhibit evolves through 2 phases: (1) Universe of Water Particles, Transcending Boundaries; and (2) Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together.
Universe of Water Particles, Transcending Boundaries is an interactive installation that surrounds you with a stream of water particles created by lights and projectors from above. You can obstruct the water’s pathway with your own body. Water bends around where you stand, lay, sit, or lean. As it starts to flow into the next phase, flowers begin to appear, as seen in my photos below.
The water flow and how it is affected by visitors changes how Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together displays. Flowers form and then as this installation progresses, the flowers scatter. The amount of scattering depends on the amount of interaction visitors have with the installation. Step on a flower and it scatters and dies more quickly than others.
This part of the installation is an interactive experience that reflects Japanese culture’s emphasis on seasons as it shifts from a bright Springtime pink to a deep Autumn red.
Pro Tips: Be patient. Standing in one place or pressing your hands against the walls slowly and with purpose will eventually change the pattern of the water and flowers beneath you. Take photos and video that incorporate the whole scene to truly witness the effect of people’s presence in the space. Try sitting or lying on the floor for a while and see what happens. Spend time here—the landscape changes and it’s interesting to see how it evolves.
Exhibit 5: Proliferating Immense Life
On the way back out of this area is an entire wall covered in a computer-generated, real-time rendering of flowers that sprout, blossom, and then die. Again, this reflects Japanese culture and art that often focuses on the seasons.
Each cycle repeats with different types of flowers each time. But the flowers in Proliferating Immense Life actually change with the seasons in real time!
Touching the withered flowers in this exhibit lights them up with energy. Collectively, these installations all reflect the impact of humanity on nature.
Pro Tips: Walk right up to this one and interact with it. We didn’t realize the decayed parts below the flowers could be lit up until we started to touch the wall where the flowers showed up dead.
Exhibit 6: Every Wall Is A Door
The famed experiential art movement artist, James Turrell, is responsible for the one exhibit at Superblue that is not photographable. His installation is a Ganzfeld work that explores how light and space impacts our vision and consciousness.
There was a little bit of a wait time before entering this exhibit to allow for the group before us to finish.
You have to wear booties into this installation, too. You first walk into a room with stairs that go up to what appears to be a giant square of light. Some thought it was a screen. After some explanation from the staff member here, we walked up the stairs and right into it! People were surprised. The “screen” was actually a second room with monochrome lighting.
There’s no object to focus on except one primary wall of shifting light. A staff member also stands to the side with a remote control to change the colors ever so slowly and slightly. I basically felt like I was inside an early 2000s iPod. It was a little boring and a little awkward but it only lasted a few minutes and then we were on to the next exhibit.
Pro Tips: You’re not allowed to take photos here but don’t give up on the experience before it ends. Notice what the space does to you and your vision, especially as you leave.
Exhibit 7: Mirror Maze
Next, we were taken into the installation by Es Devlin. Es Devlin is a London-based artist who creates large-scale installations.
The first room we entered was small with some bench seating. A short, maybe 2-minute video played with a voice speaking over it. The video showed images of all types of things around the world. Once in a while, it flashed a silvery room full of mirrors.
When the video ended, double doors suddenly opened up in the video screen wall to that very room.
The best way to explain the experience of walking through this video wall is through Es Devlin’s own words: “People often ask me why I don’t make films. I realized that it’s because you can't walk through a film. Wouldn't it be great if you could cut a hole in a film and enter it yourself?”
And that’s what she did! We found ourselves entering a funhouse of mirrors!
With so many mirrors all around, you have to like your reflection to enjoy this one! It was an exercise in narcissism.
On one side of the maze is an area with water where you can interact with a projector. It created branches in the reflection of your shape on a mirror opposite you. It’s pretty fun to play with and made me think of plant life growing out of a pond.
Pro Tips: Aim your camera upward as you take photos and video. Wear a bright color and tell your friends to, too. It’s fun trying to find them when their image is bouncing all over the room in the many reflections.
Below is a video of my experience with the entire exhibit!
In Conclusion
I really enjoyed the 7 exhibits at Superblue. These immersive installations, like the Van Gogh experience, are getting more popular and I am here for it! It caters to the “influencer” generation so they can capture that perfect Instagram photo. But you don’t have to be an influencer to enjoy it. I had a blast taking photos and video and just playing with everything! I felt like I was in a very artsy, adult playground.
Superblue plans to open more locations around the world—the next one in London. So be sure to check out what city near you it’s coming to. Don’t miss it! It’s absolutely worth it and I can’t wait to see what other artists and installations they bring in!
