FORT LAUDERDALE, FL.- Mad Arts, an incubator for technology-forward projects and collaborations, announces the opening of a new immersive art museum slated to officially open during IGNITE Broward festival on January 24, 2024. The opening of this permanent home in Dania Beach marks a watershed moment for South Florida’s art and technology ecosystem. With more than triple the current gallery space and an outdoor garden, the multi-million-dollar museum expansion enables Mad Arts to present an ambitious high-tech program showcasing experiential artwork driven by emerging technologies.

Executive Director Marc Aptakin’s vision for the 50,000 sq ft building is a bold concept that responds to the rapid pace of technological advancements and the importance of culture as a unifying force. “I'm proud we can bring this intersection of art and technology to a permanent home here in Dania Beach. Our new expansion enables us to broaden the diverse spectrum of immersive art installations, educational programs, site-specific installations and permanent commissions. For the opening of the Mad Arts Museum, we are showcasing a range of artistic voices and perspectives across sectors on a local, national, and international level,” said Aptakin.

The museum's opening will have more than 20 exhibitions from a diverse range of artists. The highlights of the inaugural program at Mad Arts are RÉSONANCES, an installation by Canadian artist LP Rondeau co-produced by ELEKTRA and distributed by Wireframe Public Art; Core (2020), by the French company Adrien M & Claire B; SysCalls, by Stockholm-based artist Jaime Reyes and re|thread, a collective of software researchers, artists and designers; and The Light Pours Out of Me, an intermedia performance/sound installation by local artist Richard Vergez.

On the new second floor, Mad Arts will showcase the commissioned work of renowned Japanese artist Makoto Tojiki titled existence, which is inspired by the interconnectedness of light and shadow; three holographic projections sculptures by Studio McGuire: Ophelia, The Hunter, and Sirens; LASER LIKE WATER, an immersive laser, sound, and water installation by JS Baillat, Ottomata, and Diagraf; an immersive installation by OLO creative farm titled 4TH DIMENSION; the acclaimed installation by Akiko Yamashita, Forest Perception – if a tree talks in a forest, does anyone listen?

Thomas Garnier brings both Taotie, a technological reinterpretation of Fantasmagoria shadow play from the eighteenth century, and Strates, an installation based on photomontage work that superimposes two eras; a site-specific commission that will become part of Mad Arts’ permanent collection called The Empty Mirror of the Sky, by the artist collective Shuster + Moseley, where visitors can contemplate the flickering strands and spontaneous spheres of light reflected on a series of suspended lenses; and the work by Mad Arts’ engine collaborator MadLabs, with three site-specific installations: Luminescent Sylva, Infinite Dimensions and Nano Groove, in addition to hidden gems that visitors will discover while on site. These commissions show Mad Arts' commitment to experimentation, risk, and believing in artists' projects by taking them from ideas to completion.

Mad Arts

Mad Arts is a project that emerged from the dedication of Marc Aptakin, CEO of Mad – an end-to-end creative agency with manufacturing capabilities. Mad Arts’ mission is to support artists launch their initial ideas and add Mad’s agency expertise and resources to help them create experiences that may have otherwise been out of reach. Mad Arts has a track record of serving as a convening space for artists and community members. Some of the programs that Mad Arts has showcased are the Erotika II Pride Festival, UNDEFEATED dance battle by BREAKINMIA, a youth-led break dance competition conducted by Sergio Garcia, CODAsummit NFT, IGNITE Festival in collaboration with the Broward County Cultural Division, the pioneering NFT exhibition: Phygital Cities of the Future, as well as solo shows from local and international creatives such as Maggie Steber, Phillip Lique, and David Carson.