Our public spaces are often simply places to pass through, teeming with humans moving through time, intent on their destination, we blur out and speed past the visual noise of advertising and impact of mechanical noise on our sensory systems, blocking out sound with headphones, and eliminating most human contact. What happens when we disrupt that pattern with large scale, immersive, spectacle creation in public environments? Public art is no longer limited to permanent statues dedicated to the past, today contemporary technology, combined with archetypal splendor, can bring public spaces to life and ignite human connections. In dialogue with two artist run collectives, Cocolab of Mexico and Macnas of Ireland, Kim Cook, Director of Art & Civic Engagement for Burning Man will explore the technology, old and new, that underlies awe-inspiring and dynamic experiences in public art activation worldwide.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.