Downtown Milwaukee will welcome a new immersive public art installation to the Marcus Performing Arts Center Outdoor Grounds in July 2023 with the return of Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT featuring Evanescent.
Marcus Performing Arts Center(MPAC) and Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 are partnering to bring the internationally touring installation “Evanescent” by Atelier Sisu to the MPAC Outdoor Grounds for one week only, July 18 – 22, along with five nights of free public performances.
Capitalizing on the success of “Lightfield” by HYBYCOZO, presented by Johnson Financial Group, that transformed Cathedral Square Park into an immersive public art installation, “Evanescent” by Atelier Sisu will feature larger-than-life “art-chitecture” (the intersection of art and architecture).
As part of Milwaukee Downtown’s public art initiatives, this inflatable, large-scale art display will feature three sets of four bubbles each, which will have a total footprint of over 1,400 square yards – encompassing the majority of the lawn on the MPAC Outdoor Grounds.
“This is the first large-scale public activation of our newly renovated outdoor space, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to enjoy and experience this exciting summer event.”
The massive installation invites playful, fun interaction, promising to be the most Instagrammable moment of the summer in Milwaukee.
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.
As part of Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT featuring Evanescent, 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 7:00pm nightly.
Versiti Family Day on Saturday, July 22 will include a Kid Boogie Down Dance Party from 3:00-6:00pm, with an interactive bubble station beginning at 4:00pm and a meet & greet with the new Little Mermaid provided by Friends Like Me Parties & Entertainment from 5:00-7:00pm.
Here is the music lineup for each night:
Funkadesi
July 18, 2023 at 7:00 PM
Funkadesi delivers a virtuoso, high-energy experience like none other. Named “Most Outstanding Group” by the Chicago Music Awards in Spring 2022, Funkadesi proudly hails from Chicago, representing its diversity through music.
Melody Angel
July 19, 2023 at 7:00 PM
Dubbed “the Future of the Blues” by the Chicago Reader newspaper, Melody Angel is a powerhouse vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter born and raised on the south side of Chicago. With strong, no-nonsense vocals and thoughtful lyrics that reflect her passion for racial and gender justice, Angel’s singular sound draws upon elements of R&B, rock, folk, and funk, all layered on a strong bed of Chicago blues.
ESSO
July 20, 2023 at 7:00 PM
Effortlessly fusing Latin roots music with modern Americana, ESSO is a multicultural live music band hailing from Chicago. The band made a splash by leveraging their influences and invoking polystylistic sounds from the same urban streets that birthed House music, and potent movements in slam poetry, punk rock, and free jazz.
ECLIPSE–Dark Side of the Moon
July 21, 2023 at 7:00 PM
Go back in time with Eclipse while revisiting many of Pink Floyd’s greatest hits including a meticulous full-album performance of the iconic Dark Side of the Moon! With an estimated sales of 45 million copies and counting, it’s one of the most popular works of recorded music in history. 2023 is the 50th Anniversary of the storied album release and now you can preview the show in a very intimate setting before the 2023 tour!
Mucca Pazza
July 22, 2023 at 6:30 PM | Versiti Family Day
Mucca Pazza is an intrepid interdisciplinary instrumental music ensemble from Chicago. They have made a name for themselves playing alarmingly danceable music composed and arranged by band members, especially for their implausible instrumentation – original music which defies classification.
“We are elated to expand on our partnership with Milwaukee Downtown to bring this world-renowned installation to our community alongside a diverse selection of musical artists for Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT featuring Evanescent,” said Jared Duymovic, MPAC Vice President of Programming & Engagement.
“This is the first large-scale public activation of our newly renovated outdoor space, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to enjoy and experience this exciting summer event.”
“’Evanescent’ by Atelier Sisu will be the premier public art installation this summer in downtown Milwaukee, and undoubtedly a highlight for everyone’s Instagram feed,” said Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21. “We’re proud to partner with the Marcus Performing Arts Center to bring even more public programming to downtown’s communal spaces this summer.”
“Evanescent” Artwork Concept
Evanescent is an adjective, meaning the quality of being fleeting or vanishing quickly; impermanence.
Evanescent is an immersive, light and sound temporary environment that aims to capture the concept of ephemerality and transience in a visual form: the bubble.
The artwork was inspired during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world stopped and everything we took for granted started to disappear. Atelier Sisu endeavored to communicate this feeling of transient beauty, and the need to live in the moment through the idea of the bubble.
By day, Evanescent is made from a color-reflecting dichroic film that reacts to the changing light of the sun as it moves across the sky, causing a rainbow of reflection across the ground and a unique picture from every angle.
This art-chitecture connects audiences with their environment and is designed to be truly inclusive. By emulating the ethereal quality and magic of bubbles, Atelier Sisu’s Evanescent appeals to our universal playfulness and childlike wonder, the work encourages the audience to consider the world around them as a space of transience and fragility, like that of a bubble.
To learn more about Rainbow Summer: HIGHLIGHT featuring Evanescent, visit https://www.marcuscenter.org/get-tickets/rainbow-summer/.
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
