DELECTRICITY

Brace yourself Detroit....Getting its inspiration from nighttime art and lighting festivals from around the world, DLECTRICITY is coming to Detroit this weekend. DELECTRICITY is a contemporary art and light festival featuring local and international artists. The event will take place Friday and Saturday, October 5th and 6th, the same weekend as comparable light art festivals in New York and Paris. This has the potential to be an extrordinary event, that will be Detroit's first Nuit Blanche. Over 35 projects are on display, that will include light sculptures, lasers, interactive design, 3D video mapping, video projection, live performances, and workshops.

Kicking off the event on Friday night, the 5th edition of Detroit Gallery Week will take place in conjunction with the opening night of DELECTRICITY. Fourteen venues throughout Midtown will hold a gallery crawl through some of Detroit's finest art venues. Re-View Contemporary, MOCAD, N'Namdi, Detroit Artists Market, the DIA, and Center Galleries are just a few of the participants taking part in the crawl.

Of special interest is Brienne Wilcock's and Robert White's "Contour 1" installation at College for Creative Studies Sculpture Garden, 201 Kirby St. This installation will use 600 mylar balloons used as mini reflectors, that will surround sculptures throughout the garden, and through a multitude of lighting techniques and individual movement of the various balloons, will create unique lighting experiences for individual viewers. Right next door on the lawn of the DIA, don't miss Stereo Negative, an installation paying tribute to the 40th anniversary of Tony Smith's Gracehoper sculpture at the DIA. The installation uses the negative space of the sculpture, to create an inhabitable pavilion on the lawn of the DIA.

At 5:00pm on Saturday, OmniCorpDetroit will conduct a Light Bike workshop for Detroit's growing bike community, in Wayne State's parking lot 54, on the corner of 2nd and Warren Ave. Bring your bike, and you'll be instructed on creative ways to light up your ride. This event will be sponsored by Shinola. Noted bike designer Sky Yeager will also be on hand at 4pm, as part of a panel discussion on bike design and urban riding. Following the event will be a 3.75 mile Light Bike Parade, where workshop and festival attendees get the chance to  ride through Midtown on their lit-up bicycles.

The Sugar Hill Arts District will be holding a block party,  featuring indoor and outdoor entertainment, as well as unique fire and light spectacles, a beer garden, food trucks, and refreshments. Block Party events take place at The MOCAD, the N'Namdi Gallery, the Whitney, and the Garfield Lofts. At the northeast corner of the Sugar Hill Arts District, at Forest and John R Street, Stoss Landscape Urbanism will debut the Light-Lot installation.

Also of note is local artist Graem Whyte's "Ice Cave"sculpture. The Ice Cave is a multi faceted mobile sculpture that fluctuates from a intimate immersive environment when closed, and an open air pavilion when opened. The Ice Cave can be seen at the Hannan House, 4750 Woodward Avenue.

Don't miss this incredible chance to see Detroit's creative energy in full force. Light it up!!!!