Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Festival FORMAT
New event a mix of music, art and technology
Anew festival is coming to Northwest Arkansas courtesy of a partnership among OZ Brands, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Momentary.
FORMAT — “For Music + Art + Technology” — is planned to take place Sept. 23-25 on the private Sugar Creek Airstrip, a place with 250 acres of forest-enclosed green land, just six minutes from downtown Bentonville. Tickets for the event, announced April 19, went on sale April 22.
More than 50 artists will be performing live, including Australian band Rüfüs Du Sol, Phoenix, Beach House, The Flaming Lips, British electronic music project Jungle and The War on Drugs, among others.
While the festival will have traditional main and side stages for performances, live music will also happen in a number of alternative settings, such as a converted disco barn, a multi-room speakeasy, hidden forest enclaves and an open-air pavilion, according to a news release.
The premiere of an artificial intelligence collaboration between John Gerrard and Richie Hawtin will take place in that few days, revealing a data- and environmental-responsive digital artwork. An “ever-changing” musical composition will be played alongside it.
Visual arts will play a strong role in FORMAT with installations, integrated performances and art experiences by several well known artists, including Jacolby Satterwhite, Pia Camil and Marinella Senatore.
Nick Cave’s iconic Soundsuits will make daily “invasions” at the festival. Cave’s elaborate costumes made of discarded materials are works of art. One is currently on display in “The Dirty South” exhibit at Crystal Bridges.
A mirrored hot-air balloon, New Horizon, by Doug Aitken will make an appearance. Artist duo, assume vivid astro focus, will place colorful tree houses and other wooden structures in the forest.
The barn will be transformed into a “disco madhouse” by artist Maurizio Cattelan’s Toiletpaper Magazine and a large scale maze made of recycled plastic bottles, created by guerrilla collective Luzinterruptus.
Guests can also look forward to large scale light installations, an interactive textile sculpture and a new design to one of the prominent venues involved in the festival.