DANCING PENGUINS
Interactive exhibitions at Dayton Art Institute.
“The deeply interactive works featured in this series of exhibitions are a powerful testament to the advancement of and growing interest in digital art as well as its unique ability to nurture creativity and curiosity through technology.”
— Aimee Marcereau Degalan, chief curator, Dayton Art Institute
If a recent encounter with the penguins at the Dayton Art Institute is any indication, museum members and guests have an unusual treat in store this summer. The little guys — or girls — are both delightful and intriguing.
Thanks to the wonders of technology and a creative New York artist by the name of Daniel Rozin, the 450 penguins ensconced in the museum’s gallery are always on the move. They interact with visitors and do their special “penguin dance” for your entertainment. Wave your arms or legs in front of the penguins, and you’ll see your own image reflected in the colony.
Once you’ve met the penguins, you’ll find it hard to pull yourself away. You’ll keep wondering what they’ll all be doing when you leave the gallery. Happily, you can purchase a penguin in the museum gift shop to take home — through we can’t guarantee your “Bibs” will be as active as its museum counterparts.
“Year of the Elements”
The penguins are one of the main attractions in the museum’s 2016 themed exhibitions titled “Year of the Elements.” The series of three shows, locally produced and curated by the Dayton Art Institute curators Aimee Marcereau DeGalan and Katherine Siegwarth, focus on the classic elements (fire, air, earth, water and ether) in a contemporary way.
This newest show “The Antarctic Sublime & Elements of Nature” highlights the element of water through three individual works of art — the penguins, a giant photo and a digital waterfall. It will be on display through Oct. 16.
“The overall idea is to spend a year focusing on the elements with 21st century artists whose work incorporates or responds to the elements in some way,” explained DeGalan. She and the other museum staff members took a huge risk when they decided to forego traditional art museum fare and go in a completely new direction. The hope was to attract new and younger audiences as well as visitors who haven’t been to the museum in the past. “The museum is supposed to offer something for everyone, and we wanted to make good on that,” DeGalan explains.