Last December, Southwest D.C. art venue Artechouse teamed up with New Jersey-based color company Pantone to reveal the company’s 2020 “color of the year.”
Reminiscent of the sky at dusk, the color — “Classic Blue” — evoked people’s “desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era,” Pantone said at the time. It was the inspiration behind an immersive installation that opened in February at Artechouse’s New York City location.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, casting Classic Blue in a new light. “Through COVID, that just took on a whole new meaning [and] relevancy for us,” says Susan Kamenar, the director of digital strategy at Artechouse. As the pandemic worsened, people sought stability.
With a new perspective on the color, Artechouse began planning for Classic Blue exhibits at its three venues in D.C., New York City, and Miami.
The result: “Crystalline,” which will build on the “Submerge” installation and open Thursday in the District. “We really wanted to bring back the Classic Blue and everything that the color was intended to and still is intended to mean across our locations,” notes Tati Pastukhova, the managing director of Artechouse, which focuses on experiential and technology-driven works.
“Crystalline” is one of three installations that the innovative art space will unveil in October and November. The installations are broken into three different elements related to the color: air, water, and earth. Each will offer a different means of exploring Classic Blue, also known as Pantone 19-4052.
The other two installations, “Celestial” and “Aqueous,” will open at Artechouse’s New York and Miami locations, respectively.
A tradition of the Pantone Color Institute for more than two decades, the “color of the year” affects product development and purchases throughout multiple industries, from fashion to home furnishings. Laurie Pressman, the institute’s vice president, told USA Today earlier this year that “each Color of the Year has reflected not only what is taking place in culture but also the feeling that we as a global society need at that moment.”
“Crystalline” centers on the element of earth and invites visitors to explore an imaginary blue castle. Through projections and motion-sensor technology in various rooms, people can create their own experience: The visuals, which manifest as crystals and other earthly elements, react to visitors’ movements.
“We definitely want to encourage people to come in curious and try different things out in the different rooms,” says Kamenar, the digital strategy director. “It’ll be exciting for people to see what hidden art experiences lie within each space.”
Artechouse will also offer augmented-reality cocktails in to-go pouches “to extend the experience to the way that things taste,” as Pastukhova puts it. Visitors can activate the augmented-reality aspect of the cocktails — it’s in the theme of the exhibit — by using Artechouse’s mobile app.
Like many cultural spaces that have reopened during the pandemic, Artechouse is operating under new safety protocols to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. It’s limiting capacity and requesting that visitors buy tickets in advance as well as requiring visitors to wear masks and maintain social distance.
Kamenar and Pastukhova say “Crystalline” will allow guests to escape the stress of the outside world — even if only temporarily. “We really hope that people come away feeling centered and grounded, and also all the other qualities that blue represents, whether that’s calm, inspired, and tranquil,” explains Kamenar. “This is really a refuge space from the turbulent times right now.”
Crystalline will be on view from Oct. 15 through Jan. 3. Hours are Monday through Thursday from noon to 8 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are available online.
