What happens when you step into a dreamy world that is powered by you and your imagination? In this case, it is the mesmerizing immersive experience at the CF Chinook Centre called Mirror, Mirror. Put on by the Moment Factory, a playground of lights and sound that was a huge hit in Montreal and Australia. Now the people of Calgary get to go through this wonderland for themselves. What can you expect?
The answer to this question is an open-ended one. The truth is that everyone who ventures into this chromatic kaleidoscope will see and come across things differently. It depends on the individual and their own unique perception. However, what we could all agree on is that this reality breaks not only inspires mindfulness but also happiness.
Once you walk into the entrance, you are greeted by a dark room that is illuminated with colourful lights and various tapestries with different pictures on them giving a taste of what is to come. After hearing the rules from the employee at the front, you are led to a room with three different doors. One is red, another is pink, and the last one is yellow.
No matter what door you choose you will see all nine installations in different orders. You can go “Into the Moon” where the night sky meets your childhood dreams of being an astronaut. The rocky plain you get to walk on, the bean bag chairs where you can rest, or gazing up at the floating moon lantern and seeing the images that arise on the wall is like being in a dream itself.
Soon you will get to peek into “Memory Storage” where you scan the QR code, answer three questions and get to see your chosen word in lights. When you gaze into the “Open Window” you will see the word you chose along with other patrons’ words form a story or a poem. It is a remarkable way to see how two things that should not go together actually can become something special.
However, this is not the only installation that can spark some joy. “Moodscape” in its hazy glory (thanks to the smoky atmosphere) shines a rainbow of colours while you can swing on a suspended chair. You can get lost in “Cloud Alley” where it looks like it is raining but you will never get wet. Or throw balls in the “Cosmic Jumble” and change the pictures on the screen to something unexpected.
Speaking of the unexpected, you can get your fortune told thanks to the “Mirrors of Tomorrow.” You stand in front of the camera to get a small video taken of you. So, you can move, dance, and do anything you want with your time on the screen. Soon you will have a symbol that appears on your face on the screen. Once that is over, you grab a card with the symbol that you saw on the screen with you (mountain, flower, etc.). That is what your future holds.
Too bad it doesn’t tell you about the “Forest of Echoes.” Tall columns of mirrors and laser lights that point in every direction makes a person believe that they are on an alien spacecraft. You just don’t meet the aliens themselves (that you know of). One can never leave this place without being transported to the “River of Now.” Stepping on stones that change colours and jumping on pictures that suddenly surround your feet. You realize that nothing else matters in that moment because in this river there is just you and that moment.
Whichever or how many of these installations you see, you will find something completely new and different. Everything you experience there is filled with bright exuberance, creative artwork, and original music that you will find nowhere else. It is one of a kind just like each person that steps inside.
Many people do get accused of having their heads in the clouds but Mirror, Mirror proves that this is not a bad thing. It is in our minds where innovation, imagination, and creativity reside. If you own a curious, playful nature or you just have a love of art that you can participate in, then this is an event that you don’t want to miss. After all, who doesn’t love a journey of self-discovery?
