RAINBOW SUMMER: HIGHLIGHT Featuring Elysian Arcs Coming to Marcus Performing Arts Center This Summer

Milwaukee will welcome a brand-new immersive public art installation to the Marcus Performing Arts Center Outdoor Grounds in July 2024 with the return of Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT featuring Elysian Arcs. Marcus Performing Arts Center (MPAC) and Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 are partnering to bring the internationally touring installation “Elysian Arcs” by Atelier Sisu to the MPAC Outdoor Grounds for one week only, July 23 – 27, along with five nights of free public performances.

Building on the momentum of last year's Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT that introduced “Evanescent” by Atelier Sisu, this summer's “Elysian Arcs,” also by Atelier Sisu, promises to elevate the experience. Visitors will be immersed in an extraordinary world of “art-chitecture” – a seamless blend of art and architecture that features a collection of five larger-than-life arches. This will be the first exhibition of this artwork in the United States.

As part of Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT featuring Elysian Arcs, each night will feature a free public performance with live music from local and regional artists, vendor markets, food trucks, activities, and more. Performances are scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. nightly, with a special Family Day planned for Saturday, July 27 that will begin at 6:30 p.m. Additional details on artists performing at Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT featuring Elysian Arcs will be released in the coming weeks.

“Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT is more than just an event – it is a vibrant celebration of creativity, community, and connection,” said Kevin Giglinto, MPAC President & CEO. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Milwaukee Downtown to bring this world-renowned installation to our community alongside a diverse selection of musical artists, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to enjoy and experience this incredible week.”

As part of Milwaukee Downtown's public art initiatives, this inflatable, large-scale art display will feature five massive arcs, which will stand at just over 20 feet tall. The massive installation invites playful, fun interaction, poised to be Milwaukee's most Instagrammable moment of the summer. Led by Peruvian sculptor and industrial designer Renzo B. Larriviere and spatial architect and artist Zara Pasfield, Atelier Sisu is an award-winning Sydney-based art practice, aiming to provide a unique spatial experience for its visitors.
 
“The opportunity to host the internationally acclaimed Elysian Arcs installation is a testament to Downtown Milwaukee's reputation as a premier destination for public art,” said Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21. “We, along with our partners at Marcus Performing Arts Center, look forward to sharing this joyful experience with the community this summer.”

The world is at the precipice of change. This change can be felt from all directions, from climatic influences, political feuds, economic fluctuations and social pressures. As a global community of humans, we throw ourselves into this convergence of change with a feeling of resilience, determination and hope. Art plays an important role in enriching the everyday life. Amongst so much seemly chaos, it is important now, more than ever to find joy in the everyday, to find moments of wonder that excite our inherent curiosity.

Elysian is a temporary public art-chitecture. It exists as a space of reflection, immersion, and joy for its audience. The form is defined by three ‘U' shapes that converge in the center of the form, creating a vaulted moment of negative space for the audience to traverse through and under. The work explores the movement of color as it interacts with light and form. The ribbed surface texture of the artwork allows the iridescent materiality to reflect and refract both natural and artificial light in a unique and eye-catching way.

Internal illumination brings the sculpture to life at night. A choreographed light display is accompanied by a unique soundscape, making the space a fully immersive experience for the audience. Elysian is inflatable in nature, making the artwork efficient and adaptable to its surroundings.

To learn more about Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT featuring Elysian Arcs, visit www.MarcusCenter.org/rainbowsummer.

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