Another big installation has been revealed ahead of Meow Wolf's October 31 opening in Houston.
Santa Fe-based artist Janell Langford has created the six-room Obsidiodyssey, which is a series of spaces that represent different stages of the creative process. This is Langford’s second permanent installation with Meow Wolf, following her celebrated installation CJ's Temporal Lobby at House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe.
Photo courtesy of Meow Wolf
Obsidiodyssey represents different stages of the creative process.
Participants will join Langford's iconic character CJ, an art director tasked with creating the perfect music video for Fantastrophe, a godlike pop star wrestling with the limits of her ego.
"I wanted to make an experience that takes guests through the ebb and flow of darkness and joy that comes with putting your whole self into works of art,” Langford said in a statement. “For me, making art can be the most beautiful, euphoric thing in the world; but often, getting it out requires facing many of my demons. I hope this journey I've put before our guests resonates with creatives across the artistic spectrum."
Visitors get to engage with the creative journey in real time, from storyboarding in CJ's Studio to navigating the challenges of Insidiopolis, an alley inspired by film noir style that symbolizes the artist’s fears and anxieties.
There are also interactive elements such as paint-by-number experiences, a clock that plays with the perception of time, and a final celebration at Fantastrophe’s House Party, complete with an interactive DJ booth. A capsule clothing and art collection is also being released than spans crop tops and sweatshirts to pins, stickers, tote bags, and prints.
Of course there will be Obsidiodyssey merch.Photo courtesy of Meow Wolf
This is just the latest piece of the puzzle that is Meow Wolf Radio Tave, the name of the Houston venue that's a riff on “radio wave.” Described in press materials as a radio station that’s been transported to another dimension, Meow Wolf visitors will be able to explore dozens of rooms filled with interactive elements such as hidden doors, paths, and portals.
For those unfamiliar, Meow Wolf is a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based art collective that’s opening its fifth installation in Houston’s Fifth Ward (the other Texas location is in Grapevine, outside Dallas). Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure contemporary art museum loaded with sculptures, murals, video, and light and sound artworks that each contribute a small piece of the overall theme.
As CultureMap has previously reported, a diverse ensemble of more than 50 contributing artists from Texas has collaborated with Meow Wolf’s in-house artist team to bring the facility to life. The list of local creative superstars included such well-known artists as innovative theatrical set and puppet designer Afsaneh Aayani, art activist Kill Joy, and two longtime pillars of Houston’s installation and immersive art community in Dan Havel and Dean Ruck, of Havel Ruck Projects.
Cowboix Hevvven is Meow Wolf's bar and restaurant.
Photo by Kate Russell
Meow Wolf will feature a venue space, a gift shop, and Cowboix Hevvven, a dive bar-inspired bar and restaurant that will offer “otherworldly Texan hospitality and comfort food.” Cole Bee Wilson, a fifth-generation Texan and Meow Wolf’s lead artist, took the lead in creating Cowboix Hevvven. True to the venue’s theme, it will feature a jukebox with 30 songs created by Texas artists for Meow Wolf.
Annual season passes are currently on sale for $84. They include unlimited visits to the venue and perks such as a 10-percent discount at both the gift shop and Cowboix Hevvven.
Subscribers to Meow Wolf’s email list may purchase single-day passes beginning September 24. General tickets will go on sale October 1.
