PHENOMENA brings optical illusions to TELUS Spark
Liam Rockliffe, Features Editor |
From Jan. 19 to March 26, Telus Spark is hosting its phenomenally trippy, PHENOMENA event. This crazed encapsulation of optical illusions is the optimal way to spend an hour and to get your mind off the stress of midterms and upcoming finals.
PHENOMENA is an exhibition at Telus Spark that dives into the world of optical illusions, showing how easily your brain can be tricked. Through hands-on exhibits and mind-bending visuals, visitors can explore the science behind perception and discover why things aren’t always as they seem.
Upon entering PHENOMENA, you are greeted by a room resembling a photo booth. When entered, three RGB lights are pointed against a white wall, when walked in front of, these lights change the colour of the shadow created by the viewer. But this box of shadow magic is just the start of one of the trippiest endeavours a Calgarian can embark upon.
Continuing deeper into the exhibition, several famous optical illusions are present in every open space, too many to get into in a Rambler—all the more reason to explore Telus Spark on your own.
A notable, and mind-bending illusion, is the Ames room. From the outside looking in, the Ames room makes two things look disproportionately sized to each other. As shown in the image for this story, if two people are in this room, at the right location, one will look gargantuan, and the other will shrink. A perfect Instagram opportunity.
Reflector news editor Bella Coco, right, and I, left, found our already obvious height disparity magnified by the illusion of the Ames room, which makes for great Instagram pictures. Photo courtesy of Bella Coco
If you’re concerned about not having a friend to take photos of you in the impossible situations PHENOMENA presents, never fear as when I went, there were employees ready to help–or even give you fascinating information on the illusions.
Do optical illusions not fascinate you? First off, your loss, and second, never fret as the event also has a “visually swirling” tunnel that had me white knuckle gripping the railings from fear of falling. At the back of the exhibit, there is also an incredible mirror maze, perfect for reenacting the fight scene from “John Wick: Chapter 2.” This mirror maze comes complete with bashing your face off a mirror, as well as being trapped forever as you continue going in identical circles.
Upon leaving PHENOMENA, I was left questioning everything I saw, unsure of reality and my place in the universe. Luckily, Telus Spark also has another attraction of a “virtual sandbox.” When entered, lights on the floor and walls track your every movement, turning your shape into a colourful amalgamation of light. There is then a giant room of lit walls and flooring which tracks your every step, sometimes clearing the light wherever you stand, or lighting your footprints. This room was a more relaxed experience, a perfect place to sit and watch the lights move under the steps of children playing.
Overall, Telus Spark’s PHENOMENA experience was a pleasure to be a part of, and I highly recommend any student to take advantage of the student discount and melt away into shifting colours and twisting scenes.
Liam Rockliffe comes from small town values and hospitality and puts these traits on display in the features section of The Reflector. With a background in journalism from his father at CTV, and from working at Stettler’s own Stettler Independent, Liam hosts stories on current events and hot topics on campus.
