Experience: 29 Rooms

When it comes to big art installations, interactive is currently where it’s at. From Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors to FAILE & BÄST’s Deluxx Fluxx Arcade, people want to be a part of the art, not just see it. You can thank Instagram and social media for the rise in popularity. Gotta get that killer shot.

One of the most popular interactive events is 29Rooms, now in its third year. Refinery29’s annual New York Fashion Week event is described as “an interactive funhouse of style, culture, & technology created in partnership with global artists and visionaries across mediums.”

The general concept is a warehouse space featuring 29 different rooms showcasing installations from partnered artists and brand sponsors. A few of this year’s collaborators were artists Alexa Meade and Jen Mussari, actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Sasheer Zamata, organizations such as Women’s March and Planned Parenthood, and brands like Dunkin Donuts and Cadillac x Jason Wu.

The most popular installations included Aldo’s Love Walk, a flashy, light-up runway; Madame Gandhi and Jen Mussari’s “The Future Is Female,” a room filled with hand-painted, socially conscious boxing gloves and punching bags, Ultra Beauty’s self-explanatory Beauty Carousel, and JUCO’s “Seen & Unseen,” a room filled with colorful murals and mirrors. Perhaps the most photogenic was “Become The Masterpiece” by Alexa Meade. The artist’s painted backdrops combined with jackets, hats, and props allow the guest to blend in and become living artwork.

29Rooms brings an enjoyable experience as well as a collection of great photo opportunities. And just announced, 29Rooms is heading to Los Angeles for the first time in December. Now West Coasters who have been getting FOMO feels from their New York friends’ social media feeds can join in on the fun!