Museum takes immersive art installation underground to Santa Barbara to create unique experience

A south coast art museum is hosting its biggest event of the year this weekend in spectacular fashion. It mixes art, music, food and dance, and it’s all underground.
The Saturday night event at the Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art is called Look… Are you looking?
“We really want everyone to feel immersed in a special and unique experience from the moment they step inside,” said Alexandra Terry, the Museum’s chief curator. She takes us down two flights of stairs under the mall.
We arrive in a huge underground room. The images are projected onto a wall. Another area resembles a giant living room, all decorated in silver as a tribute to legendary artist Andy Warhol.
Virtual reality artist Travis Hutchison uses some of his 60s, 70s and 80s themed films for the installation. “We’ll have virtual reality for you to experience, and hopefully everyone will,” Hutchison said. “But, we want to get it out of the helmet and into space, so you can actually walk through it.
The installation will present some of his VR films, such as the one on David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust period.
The Museum of Contemporary Art’s Saturday night fundraiser for its exhibition and education programs will feature immersive art, food and cocktails, DJs and dancing. Tickets for the event are available until 4 p.m. Saturday.