An innovative, technology-driven, science and space-focused artistic experience presented as an “ intergalactic playground ”, Seismique is the brainchild of Steve kopelman, COO of Escape the Room, the largest escape room company in the United States.
Kopelman was in the immersive space since graduating from college in the 1980s:
“I started in the haunted house industry and started promoting big haunted attractions across the United States. I was the biggest haunted house producer in the world and I did haunted houses with Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie.
Even at the very beginning of his career, he explains, he was keen to integrate technology into the haunted house format:
“A little less than 10 years ago, I tried to create a haunted house that would follow people through RFID to provide a personalized experience. So when you walked into a room, we would pull photos from your Facebook account. You gave us permission, of course – and that room in that haunted house would be your family and friends.
Unfortunately, his aspiration was ahead of the technology at this point, he says:
“It didn’t work out very well; the technology was not quite there. But I would always keep looking for that little bit of tech that would trigger the “wow” moment. “
40 rooms, 40 galaxies, endless adventures.#houstonart #seismic #experiencehouston #houstonart pic.twitter.com/bF49F5iMNW
– seismic (@seismic) Aug 11, 2020
The escape room trend
About six years ago, Kopelman realized the escape room phenomenon:
“I thought it was a really interesting trend and it could work well in the United States. My partner [Josh Corley] and I was the first American company to open escape rooms. Today, there are over 2,500 different escape rooms in the United States. “
The couple debuted at their escape rooms in New York City. He says:
“The escape rooms were mostly Ikea and Master Locks furniture. And yet there was still three months of waiting to enter. I think that has boosted the growth of the industry a lot because people saw our success and said, ‘I can do it.’ “
“We have developed a scenic installation that we partner with, Professional Scenic Services, out of New Orleans. It is a 25,000 square foot facility with approximately 20 different artisans working there. There are all kinds of cool equipment: CNC machines, hot wire foam cutting machines, vacuum forming machines, 3D printers. “
A full-service manufacturing company, it specializes in the scenography of thematic environments, interactive technologies and event accessories:
“We can make sculptures, or we can make a small sculpture, scan it and put it in the machine and make a 10 meter high foam sculpture.”
Seismic is inspired by Asia
“I have always watched the immersive space, what’s the next step and what can we do, ”says Kopelman. “Ever since the escape room was from Japan, I was looking at things in Asia.
“I think it’s important to come up with really cool things that people haven’t seen or experienced before. And I saw what teamLab did. Their interactivity has been a great inspiration; there really is nothing like what they are doing in the United States right now. I’d like to take what they do and then add our twist to it. “
Kopelman’s vision for seismic, while drawing inspiration from that of Tokyo teamLab However, the experience of the planets is very different.
“The seismic will be 40 different zones, which is a lot more than TeamLab. Our space is smaller, but we still have almost an acre of indoor space for facilities.
“Although we don’t have as many projection mapping that they use, we will use interactive projection mapping, sculpture, painting. Everything must have some sort of immersive and interactive part. It must also have content. “
STEAM events at Seismic
While some sites are designed as a one-off experience, Seismique is positioned to attract repeat visits. Kopelman says:
“We try to make sure Seismique offers so much that you really can’t take it all in one visit. So this gives you a good reason to come back.
Kopelman wants Seismic to be a positive force in the community and will incorporate a strong curriculum in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). It plans to offer educational workshops to students of local schools and private event spaces.
“We will have educative workshops and, ultimately, summer camps will also be organized, ”he says. “We have a room dedicated to a school that will change every week. It could be projection mapping that we teach, or coding, or something physical. It will be their room for this week. ”
While also presenting national and international artists, Seismique will provide a platform for local artists.
“We will have artists all over the United States,” Kopelman says. “And we’ve set aside at least a quarter of the spaces for Texans and people in our community. I think it’s a great stepping stone to the traditional art gallery. Because most of the artists who will be involved will not have a great reputation at the moment.
Blurring the line between art and technology
The concept of Seismic blurs the boundaries between art and Technology. Kopelman says:
“We have a really strong tech team. This is a company that I have been working with since we started the escape room: Smooth technology. “
Smooth Technology, a Brooklyn-based team of artist engineers, developed visual experiences including wireless LED costumes for Taylor Swift’s 1989 world tour. His clients include Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Google, and MoMA. :
“Smooth does all kinds of fun concepts backed by all the technology. They do crazy things, and they’re really involved in projects that we do and bring our own spin. We could, for example, be inspired by something we saw at MoMA. But there has to be our spin on it.
Find inspiration
One source of inspiration is Rain Room by rAndom International, which was exhibited in London at The Curve, from October 3, 2012 to March 4, 2013.
“We’re going to do our space age version of the rain room,” he says. “When you hit a certain spot in the room, everything will change. The original exposure was a room where it was raining all over the space, but where you walked you didn’t get wet.
“Our version is based on using cool lighting effects. When you touch a certain place in the room, everything changes. And instead of the rain appearing to be coming from the ceiling to the floor, it will appear as if it is rising from floor to ceiling. So that’s our twist.
“Or, because we are inspired by some of the arts of [Yayoi] Kusama, we will use mirrors. In no case will this be mistaken for something from Kusama, but the inspiration will be clear.
A trendy attraction
Seismic is fashionable in terms of immersion, entertainment, experiential art, gamification and the economy of experience in general.
“I’m not a big social media person and I don’t want something that is made just for Instagram,” Kopelman says. “I want something people like. Pleasure is the most important ingredient. I want it to span three generations so that people can come together. But today, it’s all about experience.
“When I was growing up, the goal was to get a Rolex, or whatever the current status symbol is. Now that’s the experience, whether it’s watching the sunrise at Machu Picchu or experiencing an immersive work of art.
“I think we’re going to integrate well into the experience economy. Especially if we let artists be artists and do their thing, and give what they feel. And we’ll add the technology and put different tricks on for people to see something that they haven’t seen before. “
“I think we really tick all the boxes. If you like games, there will be a game aspect. If you’re into the whole thing Instagram post photos, there will be plenty of places to do so. Or, if you just want to go through and appreciate the art, you can do it.
“We’re definitely thinking of maybe a day or two a month without even allowing phones and cameras. I think that can make it a whole different experience. We’re looking at all the different things we can do and the ways that people can benefit from it, and hope that we will live up to our goals.
Seismic of the building
Describing the challenges of building a revolutionary concept like seismic, Kopelman states:
“From my haunted house experience, I have a lot of experience building something in a short period of time that needs to be opened in a certain window. Some of my haunted houses were about the same size as us. Some had an area of 40,000 square feet. I think this experience allows us to stay on target and be well enough organized to bring everything together.
“As CEO, I take a macro approach. I want something cool immersive and has content. We’re, of course, going to give different artists their own deadlines – we have project management software and can put them on individual schedules. But it is, in the end, their art.
“I don’t want to influence their art too much. I want it to fit the rooms and I want there to be some similarities maybe from one room to another, but there should be a lot of diversity. We also have equipment that can help artists’ creative process in practical terms. We have 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, foam cutters, so we can help them activate and realize their vision.
“Although it’s a huge undertaking, we aren’t really worried about getting to the finish line.”
Facing the challenges of COVID-19
Nevertheless, the challenges inherent in making seismic a reality have, Kopelman said, increased tenfold with the advent of Covid-19 pandemic:
“While construction during a pandemic can present challenges, it allows us to adapt to the current environment. Each area being designed to have immersive and tactile elements, we are developing an application that will allow the client to experience all the immersive while being able to do everything in a contactless environment.
Our current team of over 100 artisans, craftsmen and technicians look forward to sharing our art with the community
“In addition, we are constantly analyzing our throughput in order to best ensure social distancing for the future. Our current team of over 100 artisans, artisans and technicians look forward to sharing our art with the community. We are still aiming for a Q4 2020 opening and look forward to presenting an experience that is both safe and phenomenal.
“Once we get through this together, this will be a great opportunity for Seismique. We’re going to have artists and craftspeople working and getting paid, and I really have a feeling the general public will be looking for as much compelling entertainment as possible. In this regard, we will be ready for them.