RAINBOW CITY ART BASEL

FriendsWithYou is proud to present Rainbow City - a forty piece environmental installation addressing the potency of interaction, ritual, and play consisting of tree-size inflatable sculptures that recall a rave-ish Candy Land. Pharrell Williams performs tonight

Fabricated from intensely colored and receptive materials, the installation encourages visitors to be active and explore, subsequently inventing their own ritual. The individual structures are simple, minimal forms that borrow aesthetics from toy- like geometry and design and tower over guests, as each element’s height ranges from ten to forty feet. By dwarfing the audience, the totemic pieces trigger a sense of reverence, similar to the visual of a monolithic monument. During interaction, the inflated sculptures “embrace” visitors, while repetitive sound elements further enhance the sensory experience.

The overall installation creates a surreal landscape of psychedelic scenery intended to simultaneously provoke a religious and childlike awareness. Rainbow City invites spectators to participate in a responsive environment, offering an opportunity to connect physically and psychologically with an energetic yet ephemeral setting.

Last year Friends with You opened their studio, gallery / re- tail operation and was quite the scene with Pharrell, Christian Louboutin and Shepard Fairey all stopping by to hang out.

Rainbow City by FriendsWithYou is presented by AOL. in association with NATIVE Shoes, PAPER Magazine, Dacra, OHWOW Gallery, & WeSC.

December 3-5, 2010 10am - 10pm Daily 140 NE 39th St Miami Design District