Giant inflatable structure returns to Artsplosure

Artplosure is this weekend and I can't even tell you how excited I was to learn that it's bringing back a "luminarium," a giant inflatable structure that you walk through (instead of bounce on).

Posted 5:09 p.m. May 17, 2017 — Updated 5:09 p.m. May 17, 2017

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Artplosure is this weekend and I can't even tell you how excited I was to learn that it's bringing back a "luminarium," a giant inflatable structure that you walk through (instead of bounce on).

"It's been 5 years since the last one and we think Raleigh is READY for it this time," Terri Dollar with Artsplosure tells me.

Artsplosure runs Friday through Sunday. And, this year, there's a big change. It's moved completely from Moore Square to Fayetteville Street, consolidating all of the activities into one place.

Kidsplosure, which runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, will be in the Market and Exchange plaza across from the City of Raleigh Museum. There, you'll find crafts and performances for kids. (If you have little ones, try to be there for the 2:30 p.m., Saturday, rock and roll storytime with Mr. Erik. He is awesome!).

The festival, which is free, also will feature its popular art market and lots of live music and performances.

But, I'll admit to being mostly excited about the luminarium.

For several years, the downtown Raleigh arts festival featured similar structures. Way back in 2011, I wrote about one of those structures - Amococo, which was 10,000 square feet and featured tunnels and domes that you walked through while listening to new-agey music. It's, what I would imagine would be, a womb-like experience. Natural light, tinted by the different colors of the vinyl, brings a kind of glow to the interior, as I wrote back then. (You can see what it's like in this quick video).

Architects of Air is the group behind the luminaria. They've erected the pieces around the world. Since 1992, more than 3 million have worked through their works. Coming to Raleigh this week is a piece called "Katena," which features three dodecahedral domes and was built last year.

It's open 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday. Tickets are $6 for adults and free for kids 4 and younger. Children under the age of 16 to be accompanied by an adult.

I'll have more about it on Friday. Stay tuned!

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