Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

On Saturday, May 6, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) presents SMoCA Mix: TECH Sublime – an evening of artist-driven technology and new media.

Guests will see the entire Museum transformed into an exhilarating, immersive experience showcasing how artists are harnessing the power and creative possibilities of technology.

Highlights of this year’s event:

• United Kingdom-based Squidsoup’s virtual environment Submergence, which will take viewers into a space that changes in real time according to their movements and positions, using up to 12,000 points of suspended light.
• Los Angeles-based new media performance artist Tiffany Trenda, who uses a 3-D printed suit and technology to engage with visitors and sync their heart beats to hers.
• Nam June Paik’s 1992 work Electro-Symbio Phonics, a​​ landmark video and neon sculpture that was commissioned by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. It features three robot figures containing 61 television monitors and four neon panels that depict symbols of human communication, technology and biology.​
• Synthesis Center, David Tinapple and Charis Elliot from the Arizona State University School of Arts, Media and Engineering. They will create a number of interactive pieces for the evening.

“SMoCA as an institution is unique in our region for its focus on contemporary art, architecture and design,” remarked Director and Chief Curator Sara Cochran, Ph.D. “We are so delighted to present SMoCA Mix: TECH Sublime because it embraces all of those important topics through artists’ use of technology. Every year the event morphs and changes, and we cannot wait to see how our artists and guests transform and engage with the evening and its innovations.”

SMoCA Mix is divided into two parts:

• 6–7 p.m.: For VIPs, there will be a champagne reception on the red carpet to honor Valley philanthropist and SMoCA Emeritus Advisory Board Member Dorothy Lincoln-Smith for her longtime support of the arts and forward-thinking vision. Lincoln-Smith is part of the generation that in the late 1990s created SMoCA and raised funds to transform a former movie theater into a jewel of a contemporary art museum. Tiffany Trenda will perform.
• 7–10 p.m.: All guests will see the Museum completely transformed.

Each year, guests have come to “expect the unexpected” at SMoCA Mix, with previous themes exploring avant-garde international fashion, vibrant street art and daring circus arts. Proceeds from SMoCA Mix will support the Museum’s innovative exhibitions and programs.

Tickets: VIP all-access (6–10 p.m.) $250; VIP virtual table of 10, from $2,500; general tickets (7–10 p.m.) $175

Information: www.SMoCA.org or 480.499.8587

Suggested Attire: Future Chic/Bold + Bright = Make a Statement

About SMoCA: Founded in 1999, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) explores the best of contemporary art, architecture and design. Global in its focus, the Museum is a unique and vital cultural resource for the Southwest, serving local audiences as well as visitors from the United States and abroad. Designed by award-winning architect Will Bruder, SMoCA’s minimalist building (an ingenious renovation of a former movie theater) has four galleries for showcasing changing exhibitions and works from the Museum’s collection, along with SMoCA Lounge, a living, functional art installation and space for community engagement. The Museum presents a wide variety of educational programs and special events for adults and families, including lectures, readings, performances, docent-led tours, workshops and classes. SMoCA also features an outdoor sculpture garden housing James Turrell’s Knight Rise, one of the renowned artist’s public skyspaces, and Scrim Wall, a monumental curtain of translucent glass panels by James Carpenter Design Associates. The Museum’s retail store, Shop@SMoCA, offers classic design objects and furnishings, contemporary jewelry, art and architecture books and imaginative gifts for all occasions.

The nonprofit Scottsdale Arts is contracted by the City of Scottsdale, Ariz., to manage Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Scottsdale Public Art.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art 7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251 www.SMoCA.org 480.874.4666 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

HOURS AND ADMISSION: Tuesday – Wednesday, noon – 5 p.m. Thursday – Saturday, noon – 9 p.m. Sunday, noon – 5 p.m. Closed Mondays and major holidays Admission: $10 adults, $7 students, free for members and children under 15 Free on Thursdays and after 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.