Immersed – Global to Local Art Sensations

I’ve been eager to see the Immersed exhibit at the McNay in San Antonio. When I discovered they waive the admission fee on Thursdays between 4 – 9,  I sauntered down to take a look. Yoyoi Kusama’s Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity is a light and mirror installation that invites the viewer to step through a door into an enclosed room pulsing with mirrored light that flows into seemingly endless vanishing points in all directions. The impression of being suspended in a universe of twinkling stars is brief but uplifting. No more than two people at a time share the space.

Philip Worthington’s Shadow Monsters was one of the most entertaining, interactive exhibits – fun for kids of all ages.

San Antonio artist Chris Sauter’s Pleasure Principle was created for the exhibit, a peek a boo living room full of holes that let the outside in.

My favorite video installation was Jennifer Steinkamp’s mesmerizing Orbit 8, part of the standing collection.

The McNay is a great day trip from Austin, with restaurants, galleries and museums galore. Immersed runs through September 2nd and reservations are required, even on Thursdays when the $20 fee is waived but the $10 exhibit entry is not.

Castroville and the Orient Expressed at the McNay in San Antonio

Tasty tour of Castroville, the charming Alsatian village with the ever enticing Old Alsatian Steakhouse and Ristorante. Tito’s tip of the day: 2010 Victor Hugo Viognier from the Paseo Robles region (yelp reviews), paired with flounder – resonant! The old world charm of this unique village is understated enough to provide a welcome reprieve from the standard issue box houses that line the I-35, 410, I-10 corridors. Historically strategic during the civil and Indian wars, the city has kept many historical dwellings intact along with the French/German (Alsace) heritage that distinguishes it from the Germanic dorf of Fredricksburg.

The McNay Art Museum in San Antonio took us back into the tine of Japonisme and its influence on Art Nouveau and Impressionism in Europe in the 1890’s and 1900’s with drawings of Mary Cassatt featured. While no pictures of the exhibit were allowed, I include a few whimsical shots below.