Monarch Butterflies in Monterey Bay

During the colder dreary months of winter, you may be inclined to think you should escape to sunny beaches in Florida or Hawaii or Mexico for your vacation. But, I would argue that this is the time to head to California, particularly Monterey Bay. Besides the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, these months are also the best time for viewing the Monarch Butterflies in Monterey Bay. November to February is the monarch butterfly migration season as they migrate from places that freeze and rest in coastal groves. It’s a very unique experience along Central Coast California as they migrate between Canada to Mexico.
Monarch Butterflies in Monterey Bay Monarch Butterflies in Monterey Bay

Pacific Grove is one of the locations that have the perfect conditions for the monarch butterflies to rest on their migration path: you can see other locations here along Highway 1 between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. These groves offer the balance of not too cold, but also not too hot, protection from wind and moisture from fog. Of the locations, the Pacific Grove one stands out to me as a do-able day trip from the Bay Area (1.5 hours from San Jose for instance), and has the bonus of the Monterey Bay Aquarium also nearby, or visit on your way to Paso Robles and visit Sensorio in the evening and/or stop in wine country, etc. so you can easily plan multiple diverse activities on your itinerary.

You can track the latest monarch butterfly counts at the Pacific Grove website or on their Instagram. the numbers were depressingly low the past few years, dropping from the millions into the thousands. The numbers are starting to rebound as people (including you!) can follow the call to action to help preserve them – they still desperately need your help. Until they recover, you may need to temper your expectations of how many butterflies you may see – thus checking the counts before your trip. During my trip, the count was around 15-16,000 during the first weekend of December.
Monarch Butterflies in Monterey Bay Monarch Butterflies in Monterey Bay

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California Artisan Cheese Festival Best Bite Competition

Believe it or not, my cheese Friday is not over yet after attending a blind tasting seminar, touring two cheesemakers, a cheese lunch, and a distillery as covered in my previous posts in part 1 and part 2 recap of my trip to enjoy the California Artisan Cheese Festival. After a couple hours break after this tour, my sister and I then went to an event called The Best Bite – A Tribute to First Responders. Then, on Sunday we went to the Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace.
The Artisan Cheese Festival The Best Bite Competition, this year themed The Best Bite - A Tribute to First Responders for 2018. Valette presented cheesesteak with Stuyt Dairy bacon cheese crisp, Stuyt Dairy cheese Whizz, pepper crusted beef tenderloin, pickled sweet peppers, and Stuyt Dairy cheese powder. The Artisan Cheese Festival The Best Bite Competition, this year themed The Best Bite - A Tribute to First Responders for 2018. Valette presented cheesesteak with Stuyt Dairy bacon cheese crisp, Stuy Cairy cheese Whizz, pepper crusted beef tenderloin, pickled sweet peppers, and Stuyt Dairy cheese powder.
At the California Artisan Cheese Festival 2018 Best Bite Chefs category of the competition, Valette presented cheesesteak with Stuyt Dairy bacon cheese crisp, Stuyt Dairy cheese Whizz, pepper crusted beef tenderloin, pickled sweet peppers, and Stuyt Dairy cheese powder.
For the Cheesemonger Bite category, shown here is Oliver’s Market, Cellar Door Platters and Displays Julie Cassotta and Mike Rafter who used Northern Gold from Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese Company to make a beer cheese

The Best Bite

This evening event brought together Cheesemakers, Chefs and Cheesemongers in a Best Bite Competition while paying tribute to first responders who risked their lives during California’s destructive fire storms in October last year. Several of the local heroes got to be judges, and there is also people’s choice award so attendees would get to vote for their winner in each category as well. I took photos of almost everything, both to share with you but also to remember what I ate and who made it for voting later! Photos are my notes!
The Artisan Cheese Festival The Best Bite Competition, this year themed The Best Bite - A Tribute to First Responders for 2018. This year’s competition, showcasing over two dozen cheesemakers, two dozen chefs and two dozen mongers each created a separate bite featuring their cheesemaker’s cheeses that are judged by some local heroes and also voted on by the people attending The Artisan Cheese Festival The Best Bite Competition, this year themed The Best Bite - A Tribute to First Responders for 2018. This year’s competition, showcasing over two dozen cheesemakers, two dozen chefs and two dozen mongers each created a separate bite featuring their cheesemaker’s cheeses that are judged by some local heroes and also voted on by the people attending
Costeaux French Bakery offered a savory cheese twist with an all butter croissant rolled with three cheeses and lavender herbs, as well as another bread stuffed with blue cheese

So now on to my cheese adventures, continued!

The Artisan Cheese Festival The Best Bite Competition, this year themed The Best Bite - A Tribute to First Responders for 2018. This year’s competition, showcasing over two dozen cheesemakers, two dozen chefs and two dozen mongers each created a separate bite featuring their cheesemaker’s cheeses that are judged by some local heroes and also voted on by the people attending. Cypress Grove Cheeses was there The Artisan Cheese Festival The Best Bite Competition, this year themed The Best Bite - A Tribute to First Responders for 2018. This year’s competition, showcasing over two dozen cheesemakers, two dozen chefs and two dozen mongers each created a separate bite featuring their cheesemaker’s cheeses that are judged by some local heroes and also voted on by the people attending

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Travel Tuesday: Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco

If you have seen my Instagram posts, you know I’m still a little giddy from my visit to the Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco with my mom (who normally lives in in hometown of Chicago) and my sister who lives in San Rafael. Both my sisters and my mom had also visited the Museum of Ice Cream in Los Angeles, but I hadn’t been able to join in, so I was happy to hear that they were opening up a second location of this pop up museum in San Fran.
Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco
Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco, cotton candy
The tickets sold out in a flash but I was super lucky in not only getting into the website but getting the perfect weekend when my mom would be in town and one of a few weekends my sister didn’t already have booked until 2018 (seriously, her schedule…). And, we got tickets for the first entrance at 11 AM (they are timed tickets) which incredibly let our group of the first 12 ticket holders in line be the first into every room and almost felt like a private visit since other groups didn’t catch up to us.
Museum of Ice Cream in San Franciso

If you haven’t heard of the Museum of Ice Cream (or MOIC) before, it started out its initial incarnation in New York, and then closed and opened up in Los Angeles. While the Los Angeles run is still going on in LA after several extensions, a second location in San Francisco also opened, and is the newest incarnation. Each location is a little different, though the theme always includes lots of samples of ice creams and a sprinkle pool. When it comes to each individual room themes and how they are set up and what sweet artwork they feature though, they may vary.
Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco

Here’s a look at the rooms in the San Francisco version. Be aware that if you come, you must already have purchased tickets ahead of time (none are available at the door). There is only one restroom area and it’s in the middle of the museum, and when you go through the museums you can only go forward, not back to any rooms you have previously left.
Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco

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My Visit to LACMA

I spent the holiday in LA this past December visiting my new niece, and my mom and two other siblings joined me in visiting baby Alexandra and her parents. There were many great laid back days full of morning audiences with her after her breakfast milk and poop, and cuddles as she took her nap, and cheering her on during tummy time, and playing the co-op videogame Overcooked. We also did some cooking, and take-out. As much as I adore baby cheeks though and the brief outings to get food, I knew I would get stir crazy. So there was one afternoon I also spent a few hours visiting LACMA, aka The Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Collaborative Art outside of LACMA from various people who had a visit to LACMA who left their admission ticket/sticker on various poles on Wilshire

I recommend this area for anyone and everyone. Even if you don’t pay admission to see the inside of the museum, there are lots of free sights in the park in the surrounding area – I went back to walk in the park several times staying in the free areas. Here are the details of my visit to LACMA and sights I recommend and which I saw during my visit to LACMA.

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Review of Living Digital Space and Future Parks

Today, I’m doing a Travel Tuesday to the Bay Area to highlight a spectacular exhibit that is ending really soon on December 18! Living Digital Space and Future Parks is an exhibit is created by a collective of people who bring together technology and art called teamlab that was founded in Tokyo in 2001. Their exhibits draw in you as a viewer into how the art and technology can become one while also exploring your perspective and your interaction with the exhibit and how both influence and can change each other.
Crystal Universe Crystal Universe

Teamlab has multiple exhibitions around the world, mostly in Asia, and this display Pace Gallery in Menlo Park, in the Bay Area of California, is one of the largest exhibitions with 20 of their digital pieces installed. All of their previous exhibitions in the US have only been temporary, with only one permanent exhibit in Seattle at the Living Computer Museum and which only has two versions of the 20 that are being shown at Living Digital Space and Future Parks.

Let me walk you through my experience. First, after checking in, you will be in the first of two buildings that house the 20 pieces. This initial building, Living Digital Space, is geared more towards everyone but particularly adults, and houses 13 art installations. Meanwhile the second building, Future Parks, is more focused on children and the young at heart with 7 additional exhibits. A visit to both buildings will take 2 hours if you take your time like I did when I visited with my mom, but we also had no kids that wanted to play awhile at Future Parks.

Brace yourself, it is 20 installations, and here’s my full review of Living Digital Space and Future Parks.

Living Digital Space

  1. Light Sculpture of Flame uses lots of accumulated light points to create a sculptural flame, similar to the way distinct dots of color form an image in a pointillist painting. You will want to watch it from afar to see the whole, and then up close to see all the tiny little wires and pinpoints of lights that somehow all come together to make that ever changing dancing flame (it was a bit dark but I tried to show it in the 2nd and 3rd photos). The image of the flames and the way the lights create patterns are  continuously created in real-time by a computer program based on how close or far viewers are (more light and sound is louder sound when viewers are closer).
    Light Sculpture of Flames as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. This artwork uses accumulated light points to create a sculptural body, similar to the way distinct dots of color form an image in a pointillist painting. The artwork does not use pre-recorded imagery; it is continuously created in real-time by a computer program and is in a constant process of transformation based on how close or far viewers are (more light, louder sound when closer) Light Sculpture of Flames as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. This artwork uses accumulated light points to create a sculptural body, similar to the way distinct dots of color form an image in a pointillist painting. The artwork does not use pre-recorded imagery; it is continuously created in real-time by a computer program and is in a constant process of transformation based on how close or far viewers are (more light, louder sound when closer) Light Sculpture of Flames as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. This artwork uses accumulated light points to create a sculptural body, similar to the way distinct dots of color form an image in a pointillist painting. The artwork does not use pre-recorded imagery; it is continuously created in real-time by a computer program and is in a constant process of transformation based on how close or far viewers are (more light, louder sound when closer) Light Sculpture of Flames as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. This artwork uses accumulated light points to create a sculptural body, similar to the way distinct dots of color form an image in a pointillist painting. The artwork does not use pre-recorded imagery; it is continuously created in real-time by a computer program and is in a constant process of transformation based on how close or far viewers are (more light, louder sound when closer)
  2. Flowers and People, Gold
  3. Flowers and People, Black
    Both of these are placed next to each other in a hallway, and have similar themes and interactions with variations of color. This flowers on the branch are rendered in real time by a computer program and the flowers blossom and then their petals begin to wither, and eventually fade away based on how close and how long a viewer stands before different parts of the artwork, blurring the boundary between the viewer and art space.
    For instance, here in the Gold version in the first two and the Black version in the second pair of photos below, you can see what it looks like with the flowers on the branch on the left and then how the petals change when I step closer in the right photo. The movement of the petals is mesmerizing.
    Flowers and People as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. This artwork is rendered in real time by a computer program. The flowers bud, grow, and blossom before their petals begin to wither, and eventually fade away. The cycle of growth and decay repeats itself in perpetuity. Depending on the proximity of the viewer to the work, the flowers shed their petals all at once, wither and die, or come to life and blossom once again. Flowers and People as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks.This artwork is rendered in real time by a computer program. The flowers bud, grow, and blossom before their petals begin to wither, and eventually fade away. The cycle of growth and decay repeats itself in perpetuity. Depending on the proximity of the viewer to the work, the flowers shed their petals all at once, wither and die, or come to life and blossom once again. Flowers and People as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks.This artwork is rendered in real time by a computer program. The flowers bud, grow, and blossom before their petals begin to wither, and eventually fade away. The cycle of growth and decay repeats itself in perpetuity. Depending on the proximity of the viewer to the work, the flowers shed their petals all at once, wither and die, or come to life and blossom once again. Flowers and People as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks.This artwork is rendered in real time by a computer program. The flowers bud, grow, and blossom before their petals begin to wither, and eventually fade away. The cycle of growth and decay repeats itself in perpetuity. Depending on the proximity of the viewer to the work, the flowers shed their petals all at once, wither and die, or come to life and blossom once again.
  4. Crows are Chased and the Chasing Crows are Destined to be Chased As Well, Division in Perspective is an entire darkened room with seven screens. The Japanese mythical bird Yatagarasu (believed to represent the sun and the will of Heaven) is rendered in light and flies around all the screens as soaring music plays. The crows chase each other through the air leaving windstream calligraphy trails in their path and eventually they become flowers. This was one that was pretty difficult to photograph with all the fast flying of the birds, but you can get a bit of an idea at the teamlab site with their videos and photos. It was disorienting but fascinating to me how all that motion surrounds you as a viewer and changes depending on where you walk and stand, how many screens you could see, and how even your fellow viewers and how their silhouette in the darkness contributes to the image in your eyes.
  5. Flowers and Corpse Glitch Set of 12
    This was my mom’s favorite of the installations. There are 12 stories one each on each screen/scroll, that start covered with golden clouds that part to show the particular slide of the story in that screen. Shortly, the scene begins to fall apart like the surface has been cracked of the “painting” to now show the technology behind the animation, and the 3D renderings behind the scenes. Then, everything disintegrates and the gold clouds cover the story to signal the falling of the curtain.
    Flower and Corpse Glitch Set of 12 as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. The work consists of 12 film stories based on the themes of civilization and nature, collision, circulation, symbiosis. The surface of Flower and Corpse Glitch Set of 12 disintegrates to reveal the hidden underside of the animation. Flower and Corpse Glitch Set of 12 as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. The work consists of 12 film stories based on the themes of civilization and nature, collision, circulation, symbiosis. The surface of Flower and Corpse Glitch Set of 12 disintegrates to reveal the hidden underside of the animation.
    The 12 screens tell the tale of Story of civilization, nature, prosperity, war, and balance with a capital city and a noble Hikaru Genij. Disease begins to ravage the capital and to investigate Hikaru Genji journeys outside of the city and arrives at a mountain village. The people cut down trees in the forest, and the villagers cut down a sacred tree and the angry spirit dragon Yamata no Orochi appears. Yamata no Orochi rampages the village so a battle between the warriors, the gods of the forest and Yamata no Orochi begins. The warriors make use of the developments of civilization, such as flaming arrows and swords to be victorious. After the battle, the burned-out forest is a wasteland. Hikaru Genji spreads seeds over the corpse of Yamata no Orochi and from the dead corpse, buds appear and the forest is gradually restored. The people are determined to go on and live in harmony with the forest and a festival is held.
    Flower and Corpse Glitch Set of 12 as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. The work consists of 12 film stories based on the themes of civilization and nature, collision, circulation, symbiosis. The surface of Flower and Corpse Glitch Set of 12 disintegrates to reveal the hidden underside of the animation.
  6. Black Waves The movement of waves of water is simulated in a computer-generated three-dimensional space and doesn’t seem to repeat, just like the way in real life hundreds of thousands of particles affect each other in so many different ways. It was interesting in that since this is placed in a room after the Flowers and People and Light Sculpture of Flame, I saw already several people trying to go up to it and see if they can affect these stormy seas (you can’t) and how quickly people begin to expect more from art than passively viewing.
    Black Waves as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. The movement of waves of water is simulated in a computer-generated three-dimensional space. The water is expressed as a continuous body after calculating the interactions of hundreds of thousands of particles
  7. Black Waves in Infinity I didn’t find the title card right away when I entered the room and my impression when I first entered and explored was more about Smoke and Mirrors in the way the outside walls of the room was all mirrors while the inside were clear glass with wafting waves of what appeared to be smoke that sometimes made it easy and clear to see through multiple rows and other times hid them. Again, fellow viewers in the room almost became part of the art in whether I can see them or silhouettes or no one at all among the pathways leading back and forth between the light and smoke and mirrors. I don’t know if that’s what they were expecting but I’m sticking with my interpretation.
  8. Crystal Universe This was my favorite of the installations. Viewers are invited to enter and walk around within the three-dimensional light space. This movement affects the light particles and creates changes in the installation. Viewers can also interact with the work by using their smartphones or tablets at the end of the path looking back on the Crystal Universe as a whole to select elements of patterns and colors for the lights to embody in the light space universe.
    Here’s a few photos of the lights from unlit to the variations of colors they can embody.
    Crystal Universe as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Viewers are invited to enter and walk around within the three-dimensional light space. This movement affects the light particles and creates changes in the installation. Viewers can also interact with the work by using their smartphones to select elements that make up the crystal universe. Crystal Universe as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Viewers are invited to enter and walk around within the three-dimensional light space. This movement affects the light particles and creates changes in the installation. Viewers can also interact with the work by using their smartphones to select elements that make up the crystal universe. Crystal Universe as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Viewers are invited to enter and walk around within the three-dimensional light space. This movement affects the light particles and creates changes in the installation. Viewers can also interact with the work by using their smartphones to select elements that make up the crystal universe. Crystal Universe as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Viewers are invited to enter and walk around within the three-dimensional light space. This movement affects the light particles and creates changes in the installation. Viewers can also interact with the work by using their smartphones to select elements that make up the crystal universe. Crystal Universe as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Viewers are invited to enter and walk around within the three-dimensional light space. This movement affects the light particles and creates changes in the installation. Viewers can also interact with the work by using their smartphones to select elements that make up the crystal universe. Crystal Universe as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Viewers are invited to enter and walk around within the three-dimensional light space. This movement affects the light particles and creates changes in the installation. Viewers can also interact with the work by using their smartphones to select elements that make up the crystal universe. Crystal Universe as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Viewers are invited to enter and walk around within the three-dimensional light space. This movement affects the light particles and creates changes in the installation. Viewers can also interact with the work by using their smartphones to select elements that make up the crystal universe.
    Here’s a look at the universe from the outside, after walking through

    And here’s a look from the inside
  9. Cold Life A screen projects what starts as brush strokes modeled in virtual 3-D space that forms the character 生 (Japanese/Mandarin for life). As the branch/character turns, each spin continues the metamorphoses of the initially plain branch into a tree with buds then flowering as it continues to turn and turn with time, blossoming and becoming exuberant with life.
    Cold Life as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. A calligraphic series of brush strokes modeled in virtual 3-D space forms the character 生 (Japanese/Mandarin for life) which metamorphoses into a tree. As time passes, various life forms begin to emanate and grow from within the tree. Cold Life as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. A calligraphic series of brush strokes modeled in virtual 3-D space forms the character 生 (Japanese/Mandarin for life) which metamorphoses into a tree. As time passes, various life forms begin to emanate and grow from within the tree. Cold Life as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. A calligraphic series of brush strokes modeled in virtual 3-D space forms the character 生 (Japanese/Mandarin for life) which metamorphoses into a tree. As time passes, various life forms begin to emanate and grow from within the tree. Cold Life as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. A calligraphic series of brush strokes modeled in virtual 3-D space forms the character 生 (Japanese/Mandarin for life) which metamorphoses into a tree. As time passes, various life forms begin to emanate and grow from within the tree.
  10. Universe of Water Particles pursues an interesting concept in that traditional Japanese art water included using lines to represent the moving flow and life. and questions whether seeing those lines gives a sense of life even though this is not a video of a waterfall but a computer generated virtual waterfall. Does the viewer feels it is alive and a connection to nature even knowing it is a rendered reproduction of the physical and not the real thing?
    Universe of Water Particles as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Computer-generated water consisting of hundreds of thousands of water particles is virtually poured onto a virtually sculpted rock. The computer calculates the movement of the particles to produce a simulation of water that flows in accordance with the laws of physics. Lines are drawn in relation to a selection of 0.1% of the particles. The sinuousness of the lines depends on the overall interaction of the water particles. The piece pursues an interesting concept in that traditional Japanese art water included using lines to represent the moving flow and life. and questions whether seeing those lines gives a sense of life even though this is not a video of a waterfall but a computer generated virtual waterfall. Does the viewer feels it is alive and a connection even knowing is is a representation and reproduction of an actual physical phenomena and not the real thing?
    These last three artworks were placed together in the same room and seemed to flow into each other.
  11. Flowers and People Cannot Be Controlled But Live Together, A Whole Year Per Hour This is the entire room in terms of the walls and floor with projections of flowers. This artwork is in continuous change, over a period of one hour a seasonal year of flowers blossoms and scatters. Depending on the proximity of the viewer to the work, the flowers shed their petals all at once or come to life and blossom once again. The more people in the room, the more the flowers wither but if you wait for the room to empty a bit, the more flowers but less movement of blossoming petals set flying by human presence. This room, along with Crystal Universe, and Flowers and People Black or Gold, seemed to inspire the most selfies. I have no selfie game but my mom took my photo 😉
    Flowers and People Cannot Be Controlled But Live Together, A Whole Year Per Hour as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. . This is the entire room in terms of the walls and floor, not including the TV screen. This artwork is in continuous change, over a period of one hour a seasonal year of flowers blossoms and scatters. Depending on the proximity of the viewer to the work, the flowers shed their petals all at once or come to life and blossom once again. The more people in the room, the more the flowers wither but if you wait for the room to empty a bit, the more flowers but less movement of blossoming petals.
    I overall had a mixed reaction to the number of selfies I saw – on one hand, this art is beautiful and you want to remember it, and the art encourages you to be part of it. On the other hand, some seemed more focused on themselves with the art as backdrop and barely thinking about the art, particularly one pair of girls who every room I ran into them and she posed in front of each and every art with her hand cupping as if holding the installation which I found diminishing and negative somehow. I seem ok with it for buildings and landmarks and statues outside where I admit that kind of shot can be humorous – why was this different? What are your thoughts about selfies and art?
  12. Ever Blossoming Life II This artwork is in continuous change on the TV screen. Over a period of one hour, a seasonal year of flowers blossoms and scatters. Flowers bud, grow, blossom, then the petals scatter, and the flowers wither and fade away. The cycle of birth and death repeats itself with pauses to also integrate with the Flutter of Butterflies work below…
    Ever Blossoming Life II - A Whole Year per Hour, Dark as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. This is the TV screen inside the next room - it switches between Butterfly and Ever Blossoming. This artwork is in continuous change, over a period of one hour a seasonal year of flowers blossoms and scatters. Flowers are born, grow and blossom in profusion before the petals scatter, and the flowers wither and fade away. The cycle of birth and death repeats itself, continuing for eternity. The entire work changes continuously. The same state will never be repeated.
  13. Flutter of Butterflies Beyond Borders. This was a mode of the TV screen that would swap between Ever Blossoming Life II in turns. For this art piece, butterflies appear on the screen and fly seamlessly into the nearby installation (aka outside the TV screen and into the room walls). It challenges the boundaries between the works. The flight pattern of the butterflies in Flutter of Butterflies Beyond Borders is influenced by the state of the other works, as well as the behavior of the viewers. The butterflies gather in places where flowers bloom in the other works, and if a viewers touches a butterfly, it loses its life.
    Flutter of Butterflies Beyond Borders as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. This was a mode of the TV screen that would swap between Ever Blossoming Life II in turns. For this art piece, butterflies appear on the screen and fly seamlessly into the nearby installation (aka outside the TV screen and into the room walls). It challenges the boundaries between the works. The flight pattern of the butterflies in Flutter of Butterflies Beyond Borders is influenced by the state of the other works, as well as the behavior of the viewers. The butterflies gather in places where flowers bloom in the other works; and if a viewers touches a butterfly, it loses its life.

Future Parks

This is a great exhibit to bring your kids to that connect critical thinking and creativity with technology and art as well as social interactions with others in many of the exhibits in which each individual contributes to a collaborative play space.

  1. Sketch Town Sketch Town is a town that grows and evolves according to the pictures drawn by children. After the 2-D drawings of cars, buildings, and spaceships are colored in and detailed (blank sheets with the shapes are provided), the creations are scanned and projected onto the virtual 3-D townscape. Children can interact with the final townscape by touching individual components to alter their behavior. Please don’t mock my drawing of me and my mom too much.
    Sketch Town as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Sketch Town is a town that grows and evolves according to the pictures drawn by children. After the 2-D drawings of the cars, buildings, UFOs and spaceships are completed, they are scanned and projected onto the virtual 3-D townscape. Every component of the town has a role to play; for example, the fire trucks and cranes serve to protect the town. Children can interact with the final townscape by touching individual components to alter their behavior. Sketch Town as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Sketch Town is a town that grows and evolves according to the pictures drawn by children. After the 2-D drawings of the cars, buildings, UFOs and spaceships are completed, they are scanned and projected onto the virtual 3-D townscape. Every component of the town has a role to play; for example, the fire trucks and cranes serve to protect the town. Children can interact with the final townscape by touching individual components to alter their behavior.
  2. Sketch Town Papercraft This is a variation of the above where the digital and physical barrier is broken back down where the same 2-D drawings are scanned and printed on a sheet that can be used to create 3-D papercrafts which children can take home. This activity involves problem solving skills and logical thinking, as children have to identify where to cut, fold, and glue as there are no direct instructions. As an adult I felt too guilty to literally fight for a seat at the table among the kids for this, but you can see more detail here at the teamlab site on Sketch Town Papercraft with photos and video.
    Sketch Town Papercraft as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. This is a variation of the Sketch Town where the digital and physical barrier is broken back down where the same 2-D drawings are scanned and printed on a sheet that can be used to create 3-D papercrafts which children can take home. This activity involves problem solving skills and logical thinking, as children have to identify where to cut, fold, and glue as there are no direct instructions.
  3. Sketch Aquarium Sketch Aquarium is an aquarium that grows and evolves according to the pictures drawn by children (yes an underwater variation of Sketch Town basically). After the 2-D drawings of sea creatures varying from jelly fish to sharks are colored in and detailed (blank sheets with the shapes are provided), the creations are scanned and projected onto the virtual 3-D aquarium. Children may also touch the sea creatures to see them swim away, or touch the virtual food bag to feed them.
    Sketch Aquarium as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Each participant is invited to color in a drawing of a sea creature of his or her preference. Once completed, the piece of paper is scanned, and the image is projected onto a giant virtual aquarium. Children will be able to see their creation come to life and swim with all the other sea creatures. Children may also touch the fish to see them swim away, or touch the virtual food bag to feed the fish.
  4. Connecting! Train Block. In Connecting! Train Block, cars and trains run along roads and railroad tracks that are connected by wooden blocks. As children place different blocks on the table, more cars and trains appear as roads and rivers and stations get connected, forming a townscape. Children play by placing the blocks in different positions to create a town collaboratively with other children.
    Connecting! Train Block as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. In Connecting! Train Block, cars and trains run along roads and railroad tracks that are connected by wooden blocks. As children place different blocks on the table, more cars and trains appear, forming a townscape. Children play by placing the blocks in different positions to create a town collaboratively with other children. Connecting! Train Block as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. In Connecting! Train Block, cars and trains run along roads and railroad tracks that are connected by wooden blocks. As children place different blocks on the table, more cars and trains appear, forming a townscape. Children play by placing the blocks in different positions to create a town collaboratively with other children.
  5. Create! Hopscotch for Geniuses Participants are invited to create their own Hopscotch course, consisting of projected circular, triangular, and square shapes that are placed on a tablet to create the course and then appear in real life along a path to play with. Different sound effects and images emerge as participants land on the same shape or color in succession on the actual course.
    Create! Hopscotch for Geniuses as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Create! Hopscotch for Geniuses is the exciting, digital version of the childhood game Hopscotch. Participants are invited to create their own Hopscotch course, consisting of projected circular, triangular, and square shapes. Each participant is able to determine the level of difficulty while making full use of his or her imaginative and creative skills. Different sound effects and beautiful imageries emerge as participants land on the same shape or color in succession. Create! Hopscotch for Geniuses as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. Create! Hopscotch for Geniuses is the exciting, digital version of the childhood game Hopscotch. Participants are invited to create their own Hopscotch course, consisting of projected circular, triangular, and square shapes. Each participant is able to determine the level of difficulty while making full use of his or her imaginative and creative skills. Different sound effects and beautiful imageries emerge as participants land on the same shape or color in succession.
  6. A Table where Little People Live So cute! Little people run around an interactive tabletop screen. Children are encouraged to interact with the little people by placing objects on the table and as each object is introduced, the little people interact with the objects by jumping, climbing, and sliding onto them. You can see a great video of the kids playing it here at the teamlab site.
    A Table where Little People Live as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. In this installation, little people run around an interactive tabletop screen around which children sit or stand. Children are encouraged to interact with the little people by placing objects on the table and as each object is introduced, the little people interact with the objects by jumping, climbing, and sliding onto them. A Table where Little People Live as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. In this installation, little people run around an interactive tabletop screen around which children sit or stand. Children are encouraged to interact with the little people by placing objects on the table and as each object is introduced, the little people interact with the objects by jumping, climbing, and sliding onto them.
  7. Story of the Time When Gods were Still Everywhere A large screen takes up a whole wall in which symbols flow vertically from top to bottom. As the symbols are touched by children, they evolve into the images that they represent: sun, mountains, animals. As more images are created a story begins to emerge as the objects that emerge from the symbols influence one another and are influenced by the actions of other people. For example, a bird lands on a tree, a sheep runs away from a wolf, and a sheep dances as a child approaches it. This is one where the more children the better to be activating the symbols to play together.
    Story of the Time When Gods were Still Everywhere as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. A large screen takes up a whole wall in which symbols flow vertically from top to bottom. As the symbols are touched by children, they evolve into the images that they represent: sun, mountains, animals. As more images are created a story begins to emerge as the objects that emerge from the symbols influence one another and are influenced by the actions of other people. For example, a bird lands on a tree, a sheep runs away from a wolf, and a sheep dances as a child approaches it. This is one where the more children the better to be activating the symbols to play together. Story of the Time When Gods were Still Everywhere as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. A large screen takes up a whole wall in which symbols flow vertically from top to bottom. As the symbols are touched by children, they evolve into the images that they represent: sun, mountains, animals. As more images are created a story begins to emerge as the objects that emerge from the symbols influence one another and are influenced by the actions of other people. For example, a bird lands on a tree, a sheep runs away from a wolf, and a sheep dances as a child approaches it. This is one where the more children the better to be activating the symbols to play together.

Please hurry if you want to see it as you must buy your tickets before they close on December 18 (they have already extended once from their run). You can purchase your tickets to the exhibit online at Event Brite, and a general admission ticket is $20 a person. There is discounted admission available for children ages 3-13, students, seniors, and non-profit employees with ID. Tickets come for entrance in 2 hour increments of 11 AM – 1 PM, 1 – 3 PM, 3 – 5 PM and 5 – 7 PM Tuesday – Sunday. The exact address is the Pace Gallery at 300 El Camino Real which has plenty of parking in the lot.

Which installation most fascinates you?
Crystal Universe Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together – A Whole Year per Hour as part of Pace Art + Technology exhibit Living Digital Spaces and Future Parks. This is the room around the TV. This artwork is in continuous change, over a period of one hour a seasonal year of flowers blossoms and scatters. The flowers bud, grow, and blossom before their petals begin to wither, and eventually fade away. The cycle of growth and decay repeats itself in perpetuity. Depending on the proximity of the viewer to the work, the flowers shed their petals all at once, whither and die, or come to life and blossom once again.

Signature