House of Mirrors - Sydney Festival 2017

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Sat 07 Jan 2017 - Sun 29 Jan 2017

To us, the technologically advanced citizens of the 21st century, a maze of mirrors sounds harmless enough right? We instantly picture an innocent little amusement park attraction of yesteryear. But what if the maze happens to be a super-sized labyrinth containing optical illusions designed to truly alter your perceptions?

This January, during Sydney Festival, Hyde Park will be home to such a beast, a giant maze of mirrors that has been described as both thrilling and terrifying.

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House of Mirrors, by artists Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney, is intended to focus on the darker side of altered perception, and may induce feelings of uncertainty, claustrophobia, apprehension, uneasiness, thrill, panic or paranoia.

House of Mirrors has been created from steel, timber and mirrors and uses only geometry and spatial design, not special effects, to confound and alter your perception. In some places the mirrors are arranged in such a way as to produce multiple reflections of yourself while at other times you have the illusion of seeing other people in the maze but not yourself. There is one entry point and multiple exits in this 400 square metre maze, but the challenge is finding your way out without losing your mind.



Wagstaff explains, "Our House of Mirrors features oblique corridors of large full-length mirrors, kaleidoscopic chambers, voids, doorways and darkened breaks. There are no special effects or tricks, it's just mirrors and geometry".

The big mistake in this maze, it seems, is to think it will be easy to navigate, as most people quickly become disoriented amongst the numerous optical illusions. Hopefully you will find the experience unique, thrilling and fun.

The work was originally commissioned for Hobart's Dark Mofo festival this year, where the installation captivated close to 12,000 visitors over seven nights, and has now begun touring Australia. It was recently seen at the Wonderland Carnival in Brisbane and now it's our turn Sydney.



The House of Mirrors will be open from 7th - 29th January 2017 from 4.30pm - 11pm in Hyde Park. Located in the Meriton Festival Village with entry near the Archibald Fountain, tickets cost $10 each and are only available at the venue. You should allow approximately 30 minutes to enjoy the House of Mirrors. But be warned, it is not recommended for those who suffer from claustrophobia or experience anxiety when feeling lost.

For more information about House of Mirrors please click here.

Now in its 41st year, Sydney Festival will run from 7th - 29th January 2017, celebrating art, big ideas and summer in Sydney. For a full program of Sydney Festival events please click here.

*All images supplied by Sydney Festival

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!date 07/01/2017 -- 29/01/2017
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