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    The Arthropologist

    Image bending: Spanish artist transforms downtown Houston office atrium withWaves

    Nancy Wozny
    Mar 2, 2013 | 6:30 pm
    • Daniel Canogar, Waves, LED screens, steel, 30-minute video, 24 feet long by 6feet wide
      Photo by © John Carrithers
    • Daniel Canogar, Waves, LED screens, steel, 30-minute video, 24 feet long by 6feet wide
      Photo by © John Carrithers
    • Daniel Canogar, Waves, LED screens, steel, 30-minute video, 24 feet long by 6feet wide
      Photo by © John Carrithers
    • Daniel Canogar, Waves, LED screens, steel, 30-minute video, 24 feet long by 6feet wide
      Photo by © John Carrithers
    • Natali Leduc, Ma Chengwei and Daniel Canogar work on the installation
      Photo by © John Carrithers

    An email from my old Caroline Collective office mate, John Carrithers, read, "You have to see this." He was talking about Daniel Canogar's Waves in 2 Houston Center.

    Carrithers was in the process of making a film on the installation of Waves, a sculptural LED installation designed specifically for the atrium of the downtown office building. Kinzelman Art Consulting worked with building management team CBRE on behalf of the owners of the Houston Center to bring the Spanish artist to Houston.

    Carrithers knew that the content — human movement used in an extraordinary way in a public space — would be right up the alley of my sensibilities, and he was right. One visit to Canogar's website and I was on my way to 2 Houston Center.

    The images in Waves come from the actual office workers crawling in various patterns. It's witty, beautiful and actually elicits movement from the viewer to fully take in the piece.

    This is the first time the Spanish artist's work has been seen in Houston. Canogar has just finished Quadratura for Bildmuseet, Art and Visual Culture, Umeå, Sweden, and Crossroad for Borusan Contemporary in Istanbul, Turkey. We had a chance to visit before he headed back to Spain.

    CultureMap: When you first saw the site at 2 Houston Center, what were your initial thoughts? The building is so square and Waves is about spirals, so there's such a contrast.

    Daniel Canogar: I was initially interested in how the public used the space. There were some very set trajectories that, after a while, become apparent to me: From the garage elevators to elevator banks and back, from elevator banks to 1 Houston Center and back, and from elevator banks to escalators. I found a high position in the second level to observe these crisscrossing pathways and this helped me to start envisioning what the final piece could look like. It was also very important to try to imagine how the piece would be experienced by the public walking along the above-mentioned routes through the space.

    CM: During the opening, I watched people stop in their tracks when they looked up to see it. I also visited with a few of the actual crawlers. They loved the piece, and really enjoyed pointing out their fine performances to me. You must have a thing about crawling because it's appeared in some of your other works. It's particularly interesting in the context of Waves, because we usually don't much see business people in suits and skirts crawling. Why is this movement choice important to you?

    I love to create situations where adults can behave playfully in public spaces. It changes their relationship to that space forever.

    DC: I'm fascinated by how vulnerable we become when we attempt to crawl as adults. It takes us back to our infancy, but it also becomes a very reptilian gesture. I'm interested in this primal kind of movement that seems so far away from how we normally negotiate space, yet was so crucial in our early days as humans. In the case of Waves, I created an event to capture building workers and tenants crawling along a green screen surface, video material that I then used for the final video of Waves. I love to create situations where adults can behave playfully in public spaces. It changes their relationship to that space forever. Our use of public space is too encoded and rigid, and through art, I'm interested in not only activating such spaces but engaging the public to become more aware of the spaces they traverse daily.

    CM: In our first meeting, you questioned why we always have to look at video images on a stiff, flat screen. Waves certainly challenges that notion.

    DC: My work has always explored ways of departing from the flat image, and creating art works with still or moving images that are three dimensional. In our hyper-saturated visual ecosystem, images surround us constantly. I'm interested in extending this experience to my art practice and explore what happens to us when the frame disappears.

    I am also very keen to interrupt the static experience of looking at a framed piece of artwork, and invite the public to walk around and discover different aspects of the work. I want to incorporate our body's movement as a crucial element in the experience of an artwork. We spend too much time parked in front of screens (computer, television and theater screens). How do we cognitively process a screen that does not reveal itself from one vantage point? Reading the image in movement adds a whole other dimension to the experience of the spectator.

    CM: How did you challenge yourself, especially in using materials created especially for this installation?

    DC: One of the major challenges in the creation of Waves was finding an LED tile that was flexible enough to be able to adapt to complex curving shapes. I needed double-torquing tiles for the sculpture that I was envisioning for 2 Houston Center. I finally found a fabricator in China, Design LED Pro, that was able to create such LED tiles for me. This is the first time they have been used, and I am thrilled by the results. As always, when developing new technologies, there were major obstacles along the way, but I now have a tool that will allow me to create new and audacious shapes previously impossible.

    CM: Talk about the actual form of the structure, which takes the shape of a spiral, asking the viewer to move around it.

    The work is as much about the physical object as how it relates to the space.

    DC: The client was very interested in having an artwork that would activate the space, not just from the ground floor, but from multiple vantage points from the upper levels. When the viewer takes the escalators to P2 or P3 to experience the work from a different angle, he/she is also discovering the atrium and finding new areas to enjoy in the future. The work is as much about the physical object as how it relates to the space. It's very important for me that the LED screen bathes the atrium in light. It was inspired by a lot of post-minimal light artwork such as that of Dan Flavin and his use of colored fluorescent light.

    CM: What were the instructions for the participants?

    DC: Participants were invited to crawl along the green-screen platform, but also advance on their knees, roll, run and interact with other participants. I was also very keen on having participants make suggestions. Often this brings some of the best material to the final artwork. Another important aspect of these performative events is how participants become spectators of other participants. Actors become spectators, spectators are invited to become actors. As they watch, they think of variations to the crawling experience, and challenge themselves to come up with new material. The green-screen events are always high-voltage creative experiences for me.

    I want to activate the spectator to physically experience the work, have a more haptic contact with the work. This has always been a fundamental objective of my installations. Waves allows me to do this with screens in a way that wasn't possible in the past. I am already coming up with crazier and more complex shapes that I hope I will be able to apply in future commissions.

    Watch Daniel Canogar and his team make Waves in John Carrithers' video:

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    These are the 14 best things to do in Houston on Memorial Day weekend

    Craig D. Lindsey
    May 21, 2025 | 6:30 pm
    Caption: Altitude Rooftop & Pool at Marriott Marquis Houston
    Marriott Marquis Houston
    Float the Texas-shaped lazy river at the Marriott Marquis Houston.

    It’s Memorial Day Weekend, and Houstonians have many ways to enjoy it besides just grilling in the backyard with the fam.

    Meow Wolf is a throwing a “neon prom,” and Theater Under the Stars is performing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first musical. Hear local musicians celebrate Motown at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Float in Marriott Marquis Houston’s Texas-shaped lazy river. Or get tipsy with friends at Pearland Wine Fest. Just don’t forget to drink responsibly.

    Thursday, May 22

    Alyssa Edwards: Crowned
    From the small town of Mesquite, Texas to the worldwide stage, hear how Justin Johnson (better known as Alyssa Edwards) went from a shy boy to the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars. Packed with Alyssa's signature humor and wit, she’ll share the outrageous, side-splitting tales of her rise to fame — broken heels, chipped nails, and all — delivered as only she can. Head over to House of Blues this weekend to take in all the fabulousness. 7 pm.

    Meow Wolf Houston presents Adulti-Verse: Neon Prom
    Meow Wolf Houston’s Adulti-Verse: Neon Prom invites adults 21 and up to step into a fully reimagined version of the classic rite of passage — over-processed hair, unprocessed feelings, and a surreal landscape of explorable art. Attendees can expect nostalgic music all night, interactive photo moments, surprise crowning ceremonies, and plenty of space to show up in their interpretation of a Meow Wolf prom. 7 pm.

    Theatre Under the Stars presents In the Heights
    For the final show of their season, Theatre Under The Stars will present Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first musical, In The Heights. The New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights is a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s here that a bodega owner named Usnavi and his friends dream, hope, and work for a brighter future. Through Sunday, June 1. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday; 2 and 8 pm Saturday; 2 and 7:30 pm Sunday).

    Friday, May 23

    Marriott Marquis Houston presents Summer Elevated
    This Memorial Day Weekend, Marriott Marquis Houston is kicking off summer with the return of Summer Elevated. Running through Labor Day, this rooftop poolside series turns the hotel –– home to the iconic Texas-shaped lazy river and an infinity pool with sweeping views of downtown –– into an urban resort. Summer Elevated is complimentary for Houstonians enjoying a staycation at the hotel this summer, and locals who want to spend a day at the hotel can join in on the fun thanks to Resort Pass.7 am.

    ARTECHOUSE presents Blooming Wonders
    Building upon ARTECHOUSE’s recent announcement of the Houston debut of Rolling Stone Presents: AMPLIFIED, the organization has announced that it will launch a companion exhibition for the summer. Originally produced by ARTECHOUSE Studio for its Washington, D.C. location, the exhibition creatively reimagines the beauty of nature through a seamless blend of art and science, highlighting the delicate relationship between the environment and the shifting climate. Noon.

    Kinetic Ensemble presents Deep Rooted: Celebrating Ten Years of Music-Making in Houston
    Kinetic Ensemble closes out its milestone 10th season with a program tracing and celebrating its Houston roots. The evening features no less than three premieres: a new work by composer Mason Bynes (who hails from Sugar Land, and is now based in New York) that expands upon her school-age hobby of composing musical telegrams for friends and classmates; the Texas premiere of In Light of Sound by genre-defying artist Evan Ziporyn; and a short fanfare by founding member, violinist-composer Giancarlo Latta. 7:30 pm.

    Bacement Foundation for the Arts presents Motown & More Revue
    We love the old-school R&B around the parts, so we’re definitely psyched about Bacement Foundation for the Arts presenting an R&B-packed weekend showcasing the city’s hottest talent. It will be a journey down memory lane with the biggest soul, funk, and R&B classics of all time, including songs by The Temptations, Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston, The Isley Brothers, and more, including a brand-new Frankie Beverly Forever tribute. 8:15 pm.

    Saturday, May 24

    The RIver Oaks Theatre presents Essentials: Rushmore
    Before his latest film The Phoenician Scheme hits theaters, check out the 1998 movie that put filmmaker/proud Houstonian Wes Anderson on the map. When a beautiful first-grade teacher (Olivia WIlliams) arrives at a prep school, she soon attracts the attention of ambitious teenager Max Fischer (Jason Schwarzman), who quickly falls in love with her. However, the situation soon gets complicated when Max's new friend Herman Blume (Bill Murray) becomes involved with her, setting the two pals against one another in a war for her attention. 3:30 pm.

    Pearland Wine Fest
    Pearland Wine Fest will showcase a selection of wines from top-tier wine brands alongside local vendors offering unique goods, artisanal treats, and gourmet pairings. Sample an impressive selection of wines from renowned brands and hidden gems, perfect for every palate — from bold reds to crisp whites and everything in between. The event will also feature live music, activities, and more. 5 pm.

    Monterroso Gallery presents “JJ Baker: Closer Than They Appear” opening reception
    JJ Baker’s first solo exhibition has everyday objects transformed through his use of oil paint on found materials. By reimagining items often overlooked or discarded, Baker invites us to reconsider how we assign value and to notice beauty in unexpected places, shifting how we see the ordinary. Originally from Cincinnati, JJ Baker spent five years in Houston as a high school art teacher and artist before pursuing his MFA through the Alfred-Düsseldorf Painting Program. Through Saturday, July 5. 6 pm.

    Art Club at POST Houston Presents DJ Night – Sofia Kourtesis
    Peruvian-born, Berlin-based producer and DJ Sofia Kourtesis brings her deeply personal and globally resonant sound to Art Club. Known for blending Latin American rhythms, Berlin house, and field recordings from her travels, Kourtesis creates emotional landscapes that pulse with activism, memory, and movement. Her debut album Madres — named one of Pitchfork’s Best Albums of 2023 — showcases her unique ability to turn personal narratives into dancefloor anthems. 10 pm.

    Sunday, May 25

    Maven at Sawyer Yards presents Beats, Brews, and Barks
    As part of its popular Beats & Brews series, Maven at Sawyer Yards is hosting this special edition. In partnership with the LMJ Foundation, this event highlights animal welfare and pet adoption. Guests are encouraged to bring their own dogs to enjoy the festivities, including a pop-up from Lucky Dog Mobile Groomers, who will be offering complimentary nail trims for four-legged attendees. 11:15 am.

    Wooster’s Garden presents Kitchen Takeover
    Wooster’s Garden is hosting a one-night-only Kitchen Takeover, featuring celebrated chef Javier Becerra. Guests can expect fun Mexican dishes such as prime ribeye tacos with caramelized onions and salsa roja, a crudo flight, and pork belly pastor tacos with grilled pineapple, all served until they are sold out. This no-cover event will also have a live DJ and a lineup of craft cocktails from the bar. 4 pm.

    Project Row Houses 3rd Ward House Party: The Writers Bench Edition
    It’s the last hurrah for Project Row Houses’ Third Ward House Party, which will have its last community "jump-off" this weekend. It's The Writers Bench Edition, so come through and mingle/create with fellow hip-hop culture lovers. DJs Comp 1 and BBC will be providing the grooves, and barbecue will be served all day. Kiddie hip-hop artist Classic Kiki will also be shooting a music video at the party. Noon.

    Caption: Altitude Rooftop & Pool at Marriott Marquis Houston
      
    Marriott Marquis Houston

    Float the Texas-shaped lazy river at the Marriott Marquis Houston.

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