Passing by the bars and restaurants that line Parry Avenue facing Fair Park, it’s easy to miss a new addition hiding among the old buildings. White with bold black trim, the outside of the building resembles a sketch of a storefront, and a quick peek into the window offers no break from the monochromatic presentation. It’s not an office building or a pop-up boutique shop, this is the site of Rainbow Vomit, the newest immersive art experience in Dallas.
For $15, curious art lovers can reserve a time to walk through the two-story Rainbow Vomit at their own leisure. First stepping into the lobby, guests will get a closer look at the previously obstructed black-and-white, comic-book-come-to-life entrance. From there you enter the room to find, well, we won’t spoil it, you’ll need to discover for yourself. It would be best to come with phones fully charged, as each section offers a unique visual and tactile experience perfect for photo ops.
Rainbow Vomit is the brainchild of curator Deanna Theis and experience director Rob Andrews. The two started working on the idea in May.
“We had to think about it, because we were working on another business,” Andrews says. “We put it on hold to do this, and it really came to life. A lot of interesting twists and turns and collaborations with all sorts of artists. I really enjoyed it.”
Andrews, a self-described entrepreneur at heart, moved to Dallas from Nashville to work on a startup company. It was in the Dallas startup community that Andrews recalls meeting Kansas native Theis. From there the idea of Rainbow Vomit grew from Theis’ vision and the input of other artists and creatives.
Andrews estimates more than 25 artists, creatives and builders pitched in to bring Rainbow Vomit to life. Each person’s individual skills, such as their lighting designer who installed the many LED lights in the exhibit, were able to provide solutions to technical obstacles that presented themselves during construction.
“Collaboration’s been really key here,” Andrews says. “Very little was done by one individual.”
The installation includes 7,500 yards of ribbon, 6,000 LEDs, 100 pounds of cotton, 50 pounds of glitter, five miles of ribbon and one secret unicorn.
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Rainbow Vomit is a funhouse that encourages exploration, each new area offering different things to interact and play with. If Andy Warhol created a playhouse for adults, it would probably look similar to the offering Theis and Andrews helped bring to life. Rainbow Vomit offers a multitude of photo opportunities over the course of exploring the immersive art exhibit. And there’s plenty to explore. The installation includes 7,500 yards of ribbon, 6,000 LEDs, 100 pounds of cotton, 50 pounds of glitter, five miles of ribbon and one secret unicorn.
The roots of Rainbow Vomit come from the influences of pop-art and from there took on an organic life of its own, with fantasy and comic book elements washing the space in bright, eye-catching colors and displays. For Theis and Andrews, the idea was to take inspirations, such as Warhol, as a starting point to create an homage and let their creativity guide them in different directions.
“Something you can insert yourself into, be a part of the action,” Andrews says, regarding the exhibit. “Just explore creativity, photography and see stuff you haven’t seen before. We really wanted to show people things they maybe haven’t had the chance to experience.”
Tickets start at $15.
