Coming To Light.

If Prelude Was Any Indication, Aurora 2017 Is Going To Be Super Kickass.

The young parents who attended Prelude 2016 had to be among the most appreciative art patrons in Dallas this weekend. Not only did this set manage to tire their kids out in just three short hours, but they also got to enjoy a pretty kickass light-based spectacle while they were at it.

As children and adults alike wrote their names and drew hearts on Antonin Fourneau’s Waterlight Grafitti installation with small brushes, it became clear just how malleable light has become.

That’s really the main takeaway from Prelude, the walk-able festival held in the Arts District this past weekend. Whether it was a mass projection on the side of the Meyerson Symphony Center or a metal frame illuminated by turquoise light bulbs, there’s not really a limit any more on what an artist can or cannot use to create.

A little more than 1,000 people RSVP’d for the two-night event, but there were at least that many people in attendance on Saturday alone — and possibly more on Friday, as that night’s festivities coincided with the Dallas Museum of Art’ monthly Late Nights series.

The interactive nature of several of the installations really led observers to the conclusion that the pieces weren’t finished until they took part in the completion.

Herman Kelgen’s Unwind drew attendees in like moths to a flame by having them walk into the reflecting pool outside the Winspear Opera House to truly get a good glimpse of the lights inside the inflated balloon structure. Little did they know, their steps rippled throughout the pool and created a whole other light show to those around.

While most of the installations at Prelude weren’t highly complex, their constantly changing structures kept the crowds contemplating about what they were actually watching.

The two Quayola pieces in the show — Matter and Pleasant Places — did this not only by displaying continually shifting forms but also by projecting eerie sounds that echoed throughout the grounds.

If Prelude was any indication of what Aurora 2017 is bringing, then Dallas is in for a treat next year.

Parents: Get those walking shoes ready for your tots.

All photos by Obed Manuel.