A First Look at Mad Arts, Fort Lauderdale's First Immersive Art Museum

It turns out Superblue and Artechouse aren't the only immersive art museums in town. If you're looking to discover experiential works in South Florida, Mad Arts just underwent a multi-million-dollar museum expansion, giving artists more space and opportunity to immerse people in really disruptive, technology-driven installations and exhibits. 

“Expanding our physical space and exhibition program formalizes the work we’ve been doing at the intersection of art and technology over the years,” says Mad Arts Executive Director, Marc Aptakin. “We’re thrilled to welcome visitors into an entirely new museum experience. This expansion will give Mad Arts an opportunity to bring in more artists, expand educational programs and elevate how we use emerging technology to amplify stories, something that is central to our mission.

The 50,000 square-foot-space touts 20 different exhibitions by both local and international artists, blurring the boundaries between innovation, technology and creativity. A work on the first floor, Resonances, captures your movement at a moment in time, multiplying and stretching it across screens all around you. The Light Pours Out of Me by Miami-based Richard Velez is a live audio/visual installation that manipulates light and sound to create a cacophonous experience. And Sound the Deep Waters by Josh Miller and Angela Fraleigh asks you to submit secret messages, and translates them into Victorian flower language all around you. 

The newly opened second floor features three holographic sculptures by Studio McGuire and a number of other interactive installations. Tetra uses your touch to bring cell-looking worlds to life.  Step into nature with Forest Perception–if a tree talks in a forest, does anyone listen? by celebrated Japanese artist Akiko Yamashita, where you'll experience lush jungle-scapes from a range of vantage points, from birds to ants. And Sirens by Studio McGuire follows digital mermaids as they deal with ocean pollution and climate change. 

Get a first glimpse of Mad Arts during IGNITE Broward, with free entry from January 24 to 28. After the art festival, the space officially opens to the public from Tuesday through Sunday. 

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