The Museum of Art + Light is a brand new experience in Manhattan, located at 316 Pierre St., which aims to bridge the gap between traditional art and modern technology.

“[The Museum of Art + Light] is unique in both mission, vision and its exhibitions,” Erin Dragotto, executive director of the museum, said. “The Museum of Art and Light is the first contemporary art museum to blend immersive, digital and physical artistic experiences under one roof from inception, and we believe this combination will lead to cultural transformations yet unseen.”

The first floor of the museum features the immersive Mezmereyez gallery, also known as “The Mez,” and the museum store. The Mez is a multi-sensory, state-of-the-art 21,500-square-foot immersive exhibition, where technology and art combine to submerge the viewer in the gallery. 

“[The Mez uses] the latest in projection technology with the power of 108 Epson projectors spanning across 37,000 linear square feet to produce 188 million pixels of animated beauty,” Dragotto said.

It was developed and designed by the museum’s team of 3D motion graphic designers, led by Sydney Bouhaniche, the museum’s creative director of immersive exhibitions.

“[The Mez fosters] a deeper connection between art and the observer,” Dragotto said. “The Mez works to transport visitors through a fully animated, artistically driven tour to new places, spaces and times where the projected story delves deep into the artistry, artist or works themselves.”

The museum’s second floor features two exhibitions with works by six digital artists: Sasha Stiles, Erick “Snowfro” Calderon, Emily Xie, Grant Yun, Mads Christensen and Tyler Hobbs.

The first exhibition is called “Code and Canvas: Defining Digital Art in the Age of Blockchain.” 

“This exhibition marks a critical moment for museums and digital art, presenting how the rapidly developing digital realm, the physical world and the unique capabilities of blockchain and Web3 technology have combined to actively reshape the contemporary art conversation,” Dragotto said.

The second exhibition is “Exploring Perception” by Mads Christensen, who was trained as an engineer and worked as a software developer, using that knowledge to create digital art.

The third floor contains works of art by many artists that were collected by the founders of The Museum of Art + Light. The exhibition is named “Lasting Impressions.”

“This exhibition, drawn from a small selection of personal objects collected by the museum founders, is a testimony to the founders’ passion for collecting what you love and sharing it with others,” Dragotto said. 

The third floor also has Cafe Azul by Radina’s, which features an outdoor dining area.

The museum is closed Tuesdays, and open Monday and Wednesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

For students with a student ID, the museum costs $12 for just the museum and $20 for the museum and Mez combo. There is also a student membership that costs $40 annually with full access to gallery floors and 10% off in the cafe and museum store.

Readers interested in more information on The Museum of Art + Light can visit its website at artlightmuseum.org.