Artist's Guide to the Multiverse - smapply.io
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Artist’s Guide to the Multiverse
Meow Wolf has always been We’re very excited that Denver is going to be home to our
largest permanent installation to date, and we are even more
about artists and collaboration thrilled to be connecting with Denver artists in the spirit of
collaboration that has fueled us from the start.
first and foremost.
Our commitment to Denver and Colorado is to create
In 2008, we started as a 10-person DIY collective based out opportunities for a wide and diverse range of artists to
of Santa Fe, New Mexico with the sole purpose of making art participate in helping build this new exhibition. Part of
and cultivating community. Now, we’re a multi-disciplinary that intent is reflected in numbers: we are dedicating 40%
creative company employing more than 250 full time artists— of our Denver exhibition space to the work of artists from
painters, engineers, video producers, writers, and more— Colorado. Another part of our ambition is to freely offer to
collaborating towards a common goal. Our goal: create all our potential collaborators insights and lessons we’ve
immersive, interactive experiences that transport audiences learned over the course of 10+ years about creating powerful
of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration. immersive experiences.
Santa Fe is home to our first permanent installation, the House The following information should be useful in crafting a
of Eternal Return, where guests discover a multidimensional proposal for a Meow Wolf project. By no means are these
mystery house with secret passages, portals to magical rules. We can’t imagine everything that is going to bend our
worlds, climbing apparatuses, and surreal, maximalist art minds. We expect this document will expand as we continue
exhibits; along with a children’s learning center, top ten in the to learn from building larger, more ambitious projects and get
U.S. music venue, and, cafe. the opportunity to collaborate with new artists—like you!
—Meow Wolf Creative Direction
1 2MEOW WOLF CREATIVE VALUES
These attributes are chief among many considerations we When evaluating an idea, we ask: “Has the artist considered
use to evaluate if a project will be in line with Meow Wolf’s every part of the space? Is the experience rich in detail and
creative vision. fully immersive?”
Collaborative Mind-bending
We encourage collaborative projects which involve artists We prefer the term mind-bending over mind-blowing. It
who possess different skill sets working together to implies a more subtle and effective warping of reality.
accomplish things that would not have been possible When you bend the mind, you allow it to get out of its
on their own. own way, giving it the opportunity to reshape itself by
forming new pathways.
Regardless of whether the project is being proposed by a
group or by an individual artist, we ask: “Has the artist or When evaluating an idea, we ask: “How does the work invite
artists considered all skill sets and necessary collaborations people to step outside of themselves and expand their
needed to complete the project? Are they likely to approach definitions of what is real and what is possible?”
the project with an open-minded collaborative sensibility?”
Unexpected
Kaleidoscopic We like seeing fresh new ideas that challenge
We are drawn to work that is colorful, playful, and preconceived notions and turn existing concepts
layered. Our idea of “Kaleidoscopic” carries an additional and aesthetics on their heads.
connotation of “multi-faceted.”
When evaluating an idea, we ask: “Has this concept
When evaluating an idea, we ask: “Does the work express been done before? If it has, then how does this particular
variety and depth, revealing multiple layers of visual interest interpretation subvert expectations?”
and encouraging many interpretations?”
All-ages
Maximal All-ages doesn’t mean the work is rated G. It means that the
Back in the day, “maximal” meant that we threw everything work has enough depth and variety to be enjoyed by a wide
we had at a project. Literally. The fact that empty space was range of people in various stages of life.
covered was more important than the choice of material
we used to cover it. Our definition of maximal has evolved When designing an experience, a good rule of thumb is
to encompass our ambition to create fully immersive to ask: “Is there something here for both the 90 year old
experiences, and our devotion to detail in considering the grandparent and their 4 year old grandchild?”
whole of a space.
3 4MEANINGFUL IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES
Here are some important elements that we have learned
about immersive installation and experience design over the
years. We’ve defined this formula as an Experience Arc, and
find that successful proposals contain the following.
HOOK Example 1 FANTASTICAL / NARRATIVE
An element that catches the HOOK: A glowing door invites the visitor to enter a maze.
visitor’s attention and invites EXPLORATION: Navigating the maze leads the visitor
to the source of the glow. The glow is emanating from a
them to take a closer look. majestic deer. The deer guards a cosmic orb.
DISCOVERY: The orb sings you a song. The orb is what
EXPLORATION
caused the glow that invited you through the door. Perhaps
The closer look provides further the song is a clue for elsewhere in the exhibit.
discoveries that escalate the
visitor’s interest. Example 2 ABSTRACT / FORMAL
HOOK: Ten-foot-tall triangle with beautiful stripes.
DISCOVERY
EXPLORATION: The surface of the triangle is lenticular,
How exploration is rewarded. viewing the triangle from different angles changes the
triangle’s appearance.
DISCOVERY: By walking around the triangle and viewing it
from different angles, three distinct images become visible.
5 6SUCCESSFUL PROPOSALS Simplicity
An artist must convincingly propose the vision of their project We are very limited by building code regarding climbable
to our team before we move forward with the idea. Outside structures or other structural fabrication. We would rather
of having a compelling idea, these elements will make your spend our money on YOU than on engineers and consultants!
proposal stand out. (Though we love engineers and consultants too).
In order to get as many projects and artists involved as
Strong Portfolio possible within our budget, we are trying to keep things
Provide examples of previous work that show off your simple without undue sacrifice of content and concept. This
abilities—both in what you are proposing to do and what is where art direction and skillful editing come in! We want
you do in general! to hear your big ideas, but we need to work together to pare
things back to fit space/timeline/budget/team capacity/etc.
Upload relevant images for any project (this is required). Keeping initial proposals at a reasonable scale will increase
the likelihood of them moving forward.
Include links to your portfolio—this is major! If you do not have
a website, they are surprisingly easy to make these days. You
could also start a new social account, upload a curated bunch Follow Instructions
of work to a file sharing website, or something similar. Any Request for Proposal we release or invite you to will have
specific guidelines for the information we need at a given
Self-sufficiency stage in the proposal process.
We’re looking for artists or groups who are able to build their Maintain the format we request—Any parameters given are
ideas with minimal help from our team at this point. hard parameters based on many considerations; we won’t
give you false parameters just as suggestion.
Keep the constraints of your talents and the abilities of your
collaborators in mind as you plan. We want people to have • Ex: No PDFs if we say no PDFs—this subverts the program
the opportunity to learn new skills, and to benefit from the and makes proposals hard to assess.
skills of the collective, but we are also spread pretty thin
already! Needing some help is expected, but having the • No submitting multiple proposals in one—we won’t be able
ability to execute most of the project with only yourself and/ to judge them independently with our software, so they will
or your collaborators is a must. get lost.
Propose YOUR work
Propose what you do, not what you think we want! Meow
Wolf is a beautiful conglomeration of many aesthetics by
very different artists! We want YOU!
7 8DO’S AND DON’TS Things that defy gravity
We have seen thousands of project proposals over the years For real! Gravity is real. Fantastical illusion is one of our
and have taken notes. Here are some specific examples of favorite reasons for making, but we are often thwarted by
proposals and projects that we’ve encountered and what physics. It’s a funny thing to have to remind ourselves, but
we’ve learned about each. This list is mostly Don’ts, but sometimes we have to step back and assess whether or not
please Do keep these notes in mind. what we are dreaming is physically possible. 3D models help
a lot with that.
No animals or plants or other living things Hanging things from the ceiling requires the sign-off from an
We have two rooms in the House of Eternal Return that we engineer, and anything that visitors could swing around on
have had to replace because the living plants were not has potential to do damage to your art and to the visitors.
surviving, despite our best efforts.
Please do no propose rooms/experiences vastly
It’s not nice to the living things! And we can not make
architectural changes to allow sun or air or egress for them.
outside of your experience level
Ambition is important! We are all reaching for the stars with
Pods these projects, and we want to give you the opportunity to do
so as well. That said, it is important to propose projects that
An amazing number of people want to propose tiny spaces you can do yourself, with some help, rather than ideas that
for one or two visitors to hide from the crowds. We totally get would mostly require the work of other people.
this impulse. However, this is a huge challenge with regards
to durability, egress, flow, and engineering.
“Meditative spaces”
Projects that do not have their own environment This is not a hard “don’t”, but it is a recommendation: calmer,
more minimal, more meditative spaces are very welcome;
We are indeed seeking sculpture proposals, HOWEVER, this is however, we want to see project proposals that are really
one of the most challenging things for us to integrate into our interesting AND calm/minimal/meditative, not merely
exhibits. For example, if you wanted to propose a spaceship, reliant on those qualities. Also—any room may be
we recommend you do not propose just a spaceship without crammed with people at all times! Even a space that is
WHERE it lives—OR, you could simply propose a ship’s interior calm when empty may be crazy when full!
as the whole project!
9 10Celebrities or news No plumbing or building infrastructure
This is not a hard “don’t”, but whether local or global, these We can not add plumbing at this juncture. Similarly, we
topics get dated very quickly. We want to create experiences cannot add intense electrical or HVAC or other infrastructural
that are more likely to provoke thought than to tell people pieces to the building—these things have already had to be
what to think. submitted to the city for approval and can not be changed.
Most importantly, we are creating other worlds! We are more
Multiple rooms/massive space requirements
interested in commentary through metaphor and nuanced,
timeless fiction than through recognizable reference. Any project that involves multiple rooms is unlikely to work
for this exhibit.
High-tech interactivity
Need for attendants or performers
NOT ALL PROJECTS NEED TECH! All projects will have
some kind of light and sound, but beyond that, an otherwise Though we do plan to have docents and performers in the
analog project can be extremely successful. exhibit at all times, all projects must also be self sufficient.
If you design for performers, also anticipate times when no
This definitely falls into the “what can you do without help” performer or docent is available.
category. Tech is expensive, so we need to be extremely
selective with what tech we use. Requiring daily maintenance
Interactivity is amazing, but there are many kind of Anything that you anticipate may need daily maintenance,
interactivity that do not work well in the high-traffic may actually require CONSTANT maintenance with the traffic
environments we create. Any interactivity that relies on that we expect. We anticipate 1.5 MILLION VISITORS PER
tracking a single person in a room, counting the number YEAR. They break everything already merely by volume. One
of people in a room, proximity of a viewer to a sensor or person pulling on a sculpture might take months or years to
object, or other passive interactions, often do not translate do damage, but thousands can break the same sculpture in a
well—the viewer does not realize that they are affecting the matter of days. This is where psychophysics come in (yes, that
tech, or there are just too many people in a space is a real term!) which we talk about below.
for it to work correctly.
Crowds
Mechanical movement Crowds are CRAZY. The numbers of people we see in our
Though often very powerful, mechanical movement— exhibits can really do damage, mess with the experience, and
analog, pneumatic, electrical, or otherwise—is a big make things hard to control. Blessing and a curse.
challenge to maintain. If you are proposing mechanical
movement in your piece, please put a lot of thought into It is not wise to design with a single viewer in mind. Rooms/
durability and maintenance. experiences have to be planned with varying numbers of
viewers. If a room can hold 25 people shoulder to shoulder,
it will probably happen. This will never be an optimal
11 12experience, and we don’t expect you to design an experience CONSIDERATIONS
for a crazy crowd, but please remember that there may be
any number of viewers in a space at any given time. What this For each project proposal, internal and external, Creative
means is that any narrative, experience, or interactivity that Direction encourages artists to consider these questions to
hinges on one person’s journey through a space will likely not help evolve, edit, or solidify an idea.
work out.
Defining Immersive Experiences
One way some artists have tried to get around this problem
• Have you considered the floor, ceiling, doors,
is with timed experiences, only letting a couple people into
light fixtures, etc?
a space at once. We can not easily accommodate timed
experiences, whether through the use of attendants, waiting • Is every surface used thoughtfully?
lists, or some kind of mechanical barrier like a door with • How does it go beyond “something on every surface?”
an electronic lock. We are often not allowed to use these
solutions because of fire code. • How is the immersive design different from interior design?
• What will the environment sound like?
Choice
Subverting Expectation
One of our number one design parameters is choice! It is
• Have you seen this before?
always best when a viewer has options in how they may
interact with your project. Whether this is achieved through • Does it transcend trends? Is it current, timeless, or tired?
layers of information based on interest, or varying paths • What makes something good-weird?
through multiple exits, varying experience through offering
lounging, climbing, reading, exploring, or just passing • What makes something unexpected?
through—choice is always a plus.
Audience
• Who will “get” this? Who won’t?
• How is it viewed by an outsider?
• Does it have the right balance of accessible vs. unknown?
13 14Psychophysics Durability
• How will the project invite the visitor to behave/react? • How will the project hold up to damage?
• How does the project reward or discourage • Will it still be successful if it is broken and waiting
various behavior? for maintenance?
• What will they try? (Example: Drawers are bolted shut on • Crowds / repeated use: How will it hold up to high traffic?
a dresser; after thousands of visitors, the audience may
eventually pull the knobs off the drawers from trying to Revision
open them over and over.) • Is every choice intentional, and reinforcing and/or enriching
• How do we make do or change plans if visitor of the overall project?
interaction is problematic?
What have you not considered?
EXAMPLE: A loose prop on a table; how will visitor react?
• Is it legible? Will the audience “get it”—or is it ok
• Pick it up, try it on other things, leave it somewhere if they don’t?
else, keep it...
• How will it come across in photo/video?
• How do we react? Unphotographable = OK!
REWARD
• Is the illusion complete? Does it hold up to close scrutiny?
• Let them pick it up and use it—have replacements handy.
• Is it successful regardless of which level the participant
DISCOURAGE chooses to engage with?
• Bolt to the table (still have replacements handy). • Is it too much? Can it be edited down?
MAKE DO • What is the core reason for this space? Are there layers
• Have staff keep watch... and have replacements handy! of information? What is the payoff?
CHANGE PLANS
• Replace with different, less inviting, prop.
• Replicate prop out of a material that can be bolted down.
• Remove prop entirely.
15 16A SECRET INGREDIENT: Questions?
Making the Unknown Accessible EMAIL proposals@meowwolf.com
MEOWWOLF.COM has the most up to date information about
Meow Wolf makes the unknown accessible by creating art any open proposals.
experiences that immerse visitors in fantastic worlds. We WHAT IS THE MEOW WOLF DENVER PROJECT?
believe that the best way to have transformative experiences
Denver will be the largest project to date. The project will be a 90,000 square
is by experiencing the unknown. However, we acknowledge foot, five story tall building built from the ground up, and will include 60,000
the important role that the “known” plays in adding context square feet of immersive exhibition experience. The building will include a
and meaning to the unknown. cafe, bar, gift shop, and outdoor space along the Platte river.
WHY DENVER?
When people encounter new environments, their brains
are hardwired to search for familiar anchor points. If there Meow Wolf has longstanding ties to the community, and the more we visited,
is too much of the “unknown,” it can be overwhelming and met the artists, participated in events, and understood the strengths and
needs of the community, the more we felt certain Denver was the right home
disorienting. In these situations, the brain can glaze over and
for the project. As we explored the possibility, the response and enthusiasm
shut down out of self-preservation. was incredible, confirming that Denver should be the place for this very
special next-generation Meow Wolf immersive story exhibition.
On the flip side, when people encounter environments
that consist of too much “known,” the brain classifies them TIMELINE FOR DENVER
as familiar, and therefore unworthy of interest. In this way, Projected opening is late 2020. Meow Wolf currently has eight Denver-based
people often fail to “see” the things they look at every day. employees who advise us on our artist and community engagement efforts.
We have also formed a 15 member Community Advisory Committee of
100% unknown is un-relatable. 100% familiar is primarily Sun Valley and West Denver residents who consult with us on our
corporate responsibility.
unremarkable. The sweet spot is a mixture of both.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
For example, an alien creature becomes much more alien
Meow Wolf is committed to the recommendations of the Denver community
when it is present in a familiar setting, such as sitting in a
and our Community Advisory Committee to focus on four areas where our
donut shop reading a paper, and the everyday experience commitment and scale can make the biggest impact
of opening a refrigerator is transformed when the door
• Strengthening RESPECT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
becomes a portal to the Multiverse.
by supporting pre-existing organizations
The ratio of known to unknown varies depending on the • Creating pathways and employment opportunities
piece, but it’s always important to consider. to increase RESPECT FOR ARTISTS
• Operating an eco-friendly business model that
When evaluating work we ask, has the artist considered the has RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
balance between known and unknown?
• RESPECT AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMY through
responsible and local hiring practices
For more information email denver@meowwolf.com
17 18MEOWWOLF.COM
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