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LET’S TAKE A WALK ON THE ALTERNATE SIDE OF LIFE FACTORY OBSCURA by Khi Davis
by Khi Davis
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Let’s take a walk on the alternate side of life. Factory Obscura is a mind-shifting art experience where the halls and tunnels lead to various interactive art pieces.
Laura Phillips, one of five co-founders of Factory Obscura, has worked with operating the company along with expanding the projects. This all started back in 2017, when the company released its first exhibit, Shift. After recognizing how popular the art experience was in the Oklahoma City area, that inspired the group to start more projects. And that brings the existence of Factory Obscura Mixtape.
Located at 215 NW 9th St, Phillips believes people should come to Factory Obscura to “get in touch with themselves” and to explore a world outside of the current reality.
According to Phillips,
“This location was previously inhabited by The Flaming Lips. And it already had the cool murals on the outside of the building. We knew the owner of the building; he actually owned this space where we did our very first project. And since the tenants were ready to move out, and we were looking for a building, we were able to work with Steve Mason to come into this building. It just seemed to make sense to continue to honor the building for the art icon that it already was. And also incorporate music into our experience, just to honor the past of the building and build something new. ”
Placed in the core of the Downtown area, it makes for a smooth trip to a wicked experience. With each interactive art piece being connected to one another, it provides a fresh new spin on feeling art, physically and mentally.
As Phillips states, “it puts you as a participant instead of a spectator” .
Before entering, you’re given a pair of glasses that reflects the lights filled throughout the exhibit. It makes everything look more trippy. You start off by entering through the ear, which can symbolize the path to the brain or the symbol of listening to music. The halls are plastered with makeshift rock band posters, and this takes you to a chill-out area with climbable areas and tiny rooms to kick back in. The detailed setup featured walls made of a furry type of material and was accompanied with birds, grass, and the bouncing lights from the disco ball.
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As you continue exploring through the doorways, you are taken into the ‘tunnel of love’ . It’s arranged like an endless hallway, surrounding the room of melancholy and leading to the oceanic ‘ wonder’ themed room.
The tunnel starts with a carnival set up with stuffed animals, corn dogs, and popcorn attached to the walls that goes through a heartshaped hall. As the corners turn, here in the next room is a bedroom with a mirror that projects song lyrics to some karaoke classics. Continuing to navigate, this leads to the room of angst, accompanied with a giant shoe, a game wall involving pegs, and an arcade-style game. The symbolism can surface from the idea of this room being the fidget space.
As the tunnel continues past the bedroom, the theme turns a bit darker as the wall begins to shift into a more possessive type of love. Leading to the room of roots, resembling family and growth. This breaks off to the room of wonder. Being surrounded by the ocean brings a feeling of floating and curiosity, wondering where the tides will take you. In the center, there’s a giant conch shell that whispers affirming messages. Along with the deep blue sea-themed lighting, there are many cushions to lay on along with a small slide for kids to use.
After passing the roots, you find yourself walking down a hallway made of books. This can resemble the idea of marriage or traveling back through the pages of memories, to find yourself back at the beginning of the cycle.
With doorways connecting to each emotion, this leads to the center, the space of melancholy. There are individual rooms in the center space, each resembling relatable moments, such as the feeling of being left out, the souvenir closet that brings nostalgia, and even a depression-themed area. Along with that, there are areas that lead to tunnels, venturing into the other spaces. When finishing the cycle of the conscious mind, you exit back through the ear, bringing you back to the entrance.
There are many aspects of Factory Obscura to take in. From the symbolism behind each mural to the smaller portraits in the bulbs, even the way people can engage with the art pieces.
For Phillips, her favorite part about Mixtape is how “expansive” the ideas surrounding the factory are in terms of defining them.
She states,
“My favorite thing about it is just the endless ideas. The endless ways that we can collaborate and build…it's just very expansive, just feels like anything is possible and just continues to move into other kinds of ambitious ideas. ”
In all honesty, Mixtape is an amazing experience to have under your belt. The inspiring and mind-opening art pieces presented allow for people to have a more personal engagement with abstract art. Each emotional embodiment tells its own story, and each piece is able to flow with each other to generate the overall theme of the mind’s connection to music. Not only was the arrangement satisfying, but the museum even had a scavenger hunt the people could take on. With the variety Mixtape provides, and the dope merchandise store inside, it is definitely a trip worth visiting in OKC.
