Lightfield, New Public Art Installation, Brightens Winter Months in Cathedral Square Park

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Making its Milwaukee debut this week is a public art installation called Lightfield, a lit-up, interactive art exhibit that’s free for the public in Cathedral Square Park. Lightfield was created by the artist duo HYBYCZO and features many opportunities to engage with the 3-D display. The perfect opportunity for outside fun in the winter months, Lightfield will be up from January 19 to May 5.

New to the Public Art Scene

HYBYCOZO, which stands for Hyper-Space Bypass Construction Zone is a Ukrainian-Canadian art duo based out of Los Angeles. The pair’s work debuted at the Burning Man festival in 2014, making them relatively new to the public art scene. However, with permanent works featured in cities all across the country and beyond, HYBYCOZO is a world-renowned team dedicated to bringing one-of-a-kind pieces to the public. “It’s exciting to bring them here,” says Gabriel Yeager, director of public space initiatives for the Milwaukee Downtown BID. “It’s been two years in the making, and a project of ours for a long time. We felt like the timing is perfect to get people outside after the holidays in the winter and bring this public art that has a light component.”

Interactive Nature

One of the stand-out components to this exhibit is the interactive nature. “The big thing with HYBYCOZO is that they worked with a S.T.E.M., or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math teacher on the curriculum. Parents can download free lesson plans and coloring pages to use as they move through the installation,” says Yeager. “It’s all about the intersection of math and geometry. Art is also math, and it can be really accessible and really fun.”

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The installation’s Milwaukee debut highlights the interaction of education and beauty. The goal of this public art display is to provide stunning art, but also a highly accessible and completely free educational opportunity for people of all ages to enjoy. “It is a layered project which is exciting,” says Yeager. “It’s an intersection of S.T.E.M., of public art, and of free accessible educational opportunities and that is what makes HYBYCOZO’s work so impressive.”

All lesson plans and coloring pages for the installation can be found at matharteducation.org.

Community Effort

Many of the sponsors for this art exhibit are businesses surrounding Cathedral Square Park, including the Johnson Financial Group. Additionally, Milwaukee Downtown BID #21 has enlisted architecture students at the UW-Milwaukee to help with the assembly of the structures. “We are partnering with the school of architecture at UWM for students to help assemble the structures,” says Yeager. “It’s always great to engage students when we bring a national art installation to find a local connection.” The community effort is a key component in bringing this national art exhibit to the local level.

Lightfield’s grand opening is January 19 and 20, from 5-8 p.m. With live DJs, soundscapes, s'mores, and more, this exciting event is one for all to enjoy. “This is a great way to get people interacting with light and bundling up and getting outside in the fresh air,” says Yeager. “It’s brand new, something we really haven’t seen in Milwaukee before. Lightfield is not something that you just walk by— it is something that you engage with.”

Lightfield is free, open to the public and will be lit 24/7.

For information regarding the art exhibit, opening festivities, and more, visit milwaukeedowntown.com/bid-basics/community-projects/lightfield-hybycozo.