Art in Odd Places (Website) has returned to Orlando for a second year of its public visual and performance art festival this month along Magnolia Avenue, from November 11-13.

This year’s theme is “play,” which, according to the festival organizers, will include any form of play ranging from,  “acting, activities, celebration, charades, competition, creativity, dance, drama, exercise, frivolousness, fun, game(s), imagination, instrumentation, leeway, leisure, maneuvers, music, participation, performance, portrayal, practice, randomness, rehearsal, silliness, spontaneity, sport, stage, and theater.” Artists will be using Magnolia Avenue as an outdoor public laboratory for their works.

This year’s event features nearly 50 art projects in a variety of disciplines, from artists around the world. 11 of the artists are from Orlando.

See brief art exhibit descriptions and artist names below. Some photos included:

This Is Me, Trying to Remain Vertical – Julie Akerly & Matthew Mosher (Tempe, AZ): Dance

A Walk Poetic – Logan Anderson (Winter Park, FL): Improv
A project to honor literary exerts of local writers within the concrete path of Art In Odd Places. The pieces are chosen from the works of local writers and at key locations—to enlighten, inspire, and intrigue. At least one concrete square will be created in Heritage Square which will have place and object suggestions; which will be used as inspiration to build scenes, stories, and worlds for an improv troupe. By offering a single glass of water to someone, they can reveal the single word beginning. Because in Improv Theatre we say “Come, play with me.” Words are often the near ending of writing; where their inspiration often is in the experience off a page, or in a what if. This is where we inspire improv theatre, one word at a time.

Intent to Re·Side – Monique Blom (Saskatchewan, Canada): Performance

Hopscotch – Megan Boye (Orlando, FL): Play installation
Explore and play your way through AiOP Orlando on this capricious series of hopscotch boards inspired by the installation’s spaces and by imaginative answers to “what if?”

Pick How You Will Revise a Memory – Jesse Bradley (Orlando, FL): Text and digital installation

From late 2013 to early 2015, J. Bradley posted prose poems disguised as Yelp reviews on Yelp.com. The “reviews” were posted for establishments in Orlando, FL, Morgantown, WV, Brooklyn, NY, and Seattle, WA, ranging from Chuck E Cheese and a Catholic church to an apartment complex and the Space Needle. These “reviews” were removed from Yelp.com by the website’s administrators for violating its Terms of Service. Pick How You Will Revise a Memory shares some of these Yelp reviews through a text and image digital presentation.

Play Station – Grace Brett (Clermont, FL): Interactive performance

Performance using circus arts to encourage interactive play individually and as a group.

Playing with Paint – Stephanie Cafcules (Jacksonville, FL): Interactive sculpture

Photo via juliacastonart.com
Photo via juliacastonart.com

Privileged Coffee Shop – Julia Caston (Greensboro, NC): Transactional installation

Photo Credit: Donna Cleary
Photo Credit: Donna Cleary

Nesting Categorical Variables – Donna Cleary (Brooklyn, NY): Visual participatory installation

changing sides – Emma Cotter (Brooklyn, NY): Roaming performance

Photo Credit: Derek Curry and Jennifer Gradecki
Photo Credit: Derek Curry and Jennifer Gradecki

Bankster Games – Derek Curry & Jennifer Gradecki (Buffalo, NY): Digital and analog games

Photo via lauracurry.com
Photo via lauracurry.com

The Agreement –Laura Curry (Oro Valley, AZ): Performance installation

Mix and Match 59 – Irina Danilova & Hiram Levy (Brooklyn, NY): Numerical game installation

Transcendent Traces – Anthony Deal (Winter Park, FL): Experimental printmaking project
An experimental printmaking project, allowing pedestrians to watch the artist in the process of experimentation. This natural method, which captures material transformation, is a method that the artist developing by playing in the studio. Using organic materials that change overtime allows the artist to give up complete control. This is why the artist equates this project to gardening. In gardening one does not know the outcome of one’s actions; however, one tries to develop the best scenario to produce the best fruit. The heart of this project is experimenting with natural materials to create simple compositions on paper.

photo Credit: Danielle DeGuglimo
photo Credit: Danielle DeGuglimo

We All Fall Down – Danielle DeGuglimo (Winter Park, FL): Domino installation
A playful installation of orange cement tiles set up as a “domino show.” Like the childhood pastime, the tiles are set up in a long line, once the first tile is toppled by hand, the rest will fall in a chain reaction. Look for different configurations of the domino line in different stages during the event.

Ghosts of Magnolia – Juliet Diienno & Masami Koshikawa (Apopka, FL): Performance art
This performance will portray ghost characters roaming around downtown Orlando on Magnolia Avenue. Each ghost will be wearing white make-up and clothing that represent the people of downtown, such as businessmen/women, nurses, chefs, store clerks, mothers, workers, etc… The ghosts will engage in games of hide and seek, tic tac toe, and other childhood activities at various locations to involve random strangers and encourage them to take a moment and play with us. The goal is to remind them that life is short, so don’t forget to have fun!

Scratch Night – Brian Feldman (Washington D.C.): Performance and live stream installation

Hit Play Orlando! – Donald Gialanella (St. Petersburg, FL): Informational and physical installation

Play House – Christopher Gonzalez (Orlando, FL): Cerebral installation
An exploration on the memories of “playing house,” a structure made of PVC piping will be erected in the middle of Downtown Orlando with a living room set up. Feel free to sit and respond in the journal within the allotted time to questions about memories you may have growing up, or read previous responses from other community members.

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photo Credit: Dana Hargrove

Prop Plop – Dana Hargrove (Maitland, FL): Reclaimed packaging installations
Prop Plops’ take the form of cardboard cutouts made from reclaimed consumer packaging, creating facades of small mound-like memorials. Propped in unsavory nooks and crannies of downtown Orlando, they suggest family units within a larger community, and re-imagine our widespread experiences of displacement and economic struggle. It also runs a discourse between the gentrification and homogenization of our spaces, and the often-ignored homeless population living in downtown areas.

Cuddle – Alexander Hernandez (San Francisco, CA): Sculpture installation

Positive Process Platform – Heather Hubbard (Orlando, FL): Performance
This performance piece involves the public engagement of strangers in passing. Pairs of strangers will meet in silence for one minute, sharing simply energy, eye contact and understanding. The participants will proceed to photograph each other with instant film cameras. They will also write down something kind – a poem, a compliment, a fun fact – anything positive to accompany their photo exchange. These small and awkward, but very tangible, interactions are open invitations to be engaged and mindful of others and the exceptional potential the public sphere holds. This piece intends to distinguish the sublime nature of human interaction and community.

ienke kastelein: Dancing with Chairs Photo by: ienke kastelein
ienke kastelein: Dancing with Chairs Photo by: ienke kastelein

Dancing with Chairs – Ienke Kastelein (Utrecht, the Netherlands): Performance installation

When You Whistle, It’s Not Work – Kilmchak (Atlanta, GA): Musical instrument

At This Very Location – Jeff Knowlton (Newhall, CA): Mobile phone interactive experience

LabBodies – LabBodies: Ada Pinkston & Hoesy Corona with Noelle Tolbert & Alexander D’Agostino (Baltimore, MD): Installation and performance

pOm•trees – Karen Lao (Baltimore, MD): Participatory installation

Photo Credit: Kalup Linzy
Photo Credit: Kalup Linzy

Camp Inspiration Camp Lullaby – Kalup Linzy (Mascotte, FL):  Visualization installation

Wired Up – Forrest MacDonald (Tampa, FL): Wire sculpture installation

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photo Credit: NRA, Ring of Freedom Website

The Ring of Freedom – Stephanie Mercedes (Brooklyn, NY): Visual installation

Loading – Eden Mitsenmacher (Tel-Aviv, Israel): Visual installation

Monsters Parade – MoP Collective: Sean Hamilton, Rokaya Mikhailenko, Ayanna Nathifa, Nikki Peña & Shelly Torres (Orlando, FL): Roving movement installation
Embracing imaginative play, Monsters on Parade marches through Downtown Orlando inviting audience members to join along and help create an environment-filled with imagination. Featuring a variety of performance arts, this caravan will sweep you away on a memorable journey through the use of improvisational dance and originally composed music. Multiple stops will be made throughout downtown with each location featuring a newly arranged series of vignettes.


Crystal City
– Adriaan Mol (Orlando, FL): Mirror and wood installations

An installation piece constructed of plastic mirrors and wood. Passersby are invited to participate in the colors and reflections within. Light plays with the randomly shaped images as time passes. The intent is to observe momentary reflections and how they interact and play with each other.

Equalibria – Matthew Mosher (Orlando, FL): Sound installation

What is the sound of balance? Equalibria is a new instrument for musical expression that uses vessels of water as input. Instead of producing songs and melodies, the piece uses the ratios of water levels to generate sonic dronescapes. Since water must be put into the instrument for it to play, the water must also be removed for it to stop. This cycle of in and out mimics our breathing and our relationship with water. The public is invited to scheduled performances and demo session where they can try creating sound with the instrument.

Columpeo – Elena Munoz (Mexico): Play installation

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photo Credit: Christopher Olszewskie

Where did the good times go? – Christopher Olszewski (Savannah, GA): Mobile art

Percussion Processional – Sean Perry (Orlando, FL): Percussion processional for world’s largest drum line
aXis Magazine & Events kicks off the 2017 Florida Music Festival artist submissions by creating a Downtown Orlando percussion processional. Utilizing the top professional drummers, regional musicians and fun loving amateurs, we will help them pursue their dream of banging on the drums all day, in an effort to represent the unique character and cultural beat of The City Beautiful. Think biggest, baddest, most epic drum circle ever!

The Light House – LabBodies Co-founders Ada Pinkston and Hoesy Corona (Baltimore, MD): Interactive performance monument

YOUTunes – Preston Poe (St. Petersburg, FL): Conversational music installation

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photo Credit: Jared Silvia

Rhizomatic Sounds – Jared Silvia & Lesley Silvia (Casselberry, FL): Interactive sound sculpture

An interactive sound sculpture that allows participants to create music from mundane individual sounds. While playing with noise, participants and onlookers are encouraged to rethink what music is while experiencing a one-of-a-kind composition. The cassette recorders will be arranged without an obvious starting point to encourage exploration in 360 degrees. Each tape will contain a different recording including musical instruments, radio static, ambience, archive audio, Foley, and voices singing and speaking. Participants are encouraged to play the sculpture where they risk making a noisy mess, or something strangely beautiful.


Franchise: Happy Pills
– SKIP Of Franchise Industries (Winter Park, FL): Interactive installation
It’s a giant, red, un-happy meal with a frowny face where participants stuff giant pills into the mouth; and because of a built in shoot, the pills just pop out the other side. So the un-happy meal never gets happy.

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photo Credit: Steve Eberhardt

Play Money – Priscilla Smith (Atlanta, GA): Storytelling with money

The Memory Hole: Home Movie Roulette – Holly Tavel (Orlando, FL): Collaborative film/performance project
A collaborative film/performance project exploring ideas of memory, agency, and chance alignments of language and image. The project utilizes a variety of media—found super 8 home movies, a film projector, audio cassettes, and fragments of found texts (poetry, travel brochure descriptions, children’s book excerpts, vintage advertisements, appliance instruction manuals) to engage with ideas of nostalgia, cultural detritus, and the presence of former mediascapes in our everyday lives. Groups of 3 or 4 participants will randomly choose a film, text and cassette, creating a collage of language, sound and imagery.

Nature in existential crisis! – Chris Tobar & Yesenia Lima (Orlando, FL): Play and visual installation
A moment of playful connection to nature, via 3D projection mapping, guided by our protagonist, Flicker, and the chorus. Visitors will have an opportunity to advise a tree in crisis with the use of social media.

The Incredible Memory Machine – Laura VonMutius (Orlando, FL): Interactive installation
A vending machine that only accepts memories as its currency.

Brendan O'Connor

Editor in Chief of Bungalower.com

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