The Meow Wolf artists' collective has introduced a new and very welcome level of disruption to the attractions and themed entertainment industry while setting new examples for what immersive experience can be. Meow Wolf works to establish a sustainable model that supports artists and brings the public closer to art in novel settings where unexpected things happen and nothing is quite what it seems at first. The Meow Wolf flagship, The House of Eternal Return, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, opened in 2016 with key support from George R.R. Martin, and was honored in 2017 with a Thea Award.
Describing the Meow Wolf experience, Marsi Gray, Las Vegas senior creative producer, says, “You start in a familiar place. From there, wormholes and portals transport you to unknown worlds.”
The second Meow Wolf venue, Omega Mart, opened in February 2021 at Area15 in Las Vegas. The guest experience begins in what is ostensibly a supermarket, leading to a network of media-rich spaces and storytelling that comments on consumerism and corporate culture. The adventure is open-ended and self-guided. Visitors can spend as much time as they like in the four anchor spaces and numerous individual art installations.
This article, originally written for Lighting&Sound America, is a 4,000-word, deep dive into the complex creative and technical innovation of Omega Mart. It explores lighting, audio, projection, technical design, interactivity, music and the unique Meow Wolf culture.
Click here for "Let's go shopping! The intricacies of Meow Wolf's Omega Mart."
Photo courtesy Meow Wolf.
