Color Factory, One of the World’s Most Instagram-Baiting Art Experiences, Is Coming to New York

Mark your calendars; doors open August 20.

The facade of the Color Factory in New York City. Image courtesy of Color Factory.

Get ready to paint the town—all the colors of the rainbow. The prismatic art installation Color Factory is making its inaugural East Coast debut this August, with tickets available starting on Tuesday. Color Factory is the real-life technicolor experience dreamed up by San Francisco-based creative Jordan Ferney, and since its inception last summer, it has become a destination for Bay Area selfie-seekers.

Color Factory “Colorwalk” in Manhattan. Courtesy of CFNY.

More than 170,000 visitors flocked to the collaborative art space over the course of its nine-month run, and the SoHo location will be even bigger than the California incarnation.

Color Factory in San Francisco. Courtesy of Color Factory.

The NYC space will feature 16 installations including a dance floor, an ombre-hued floating balloon room, and a room designed to help visitors discover their “secret color,” conceived by artist Molly Young. In keeping with the multi-sensory aspect of the space, there will be on-theme sweet treats—plus the signature monochromatic ball pit.

Color Factory in San Francisco. Courtesy of Color Factory.

Color Factory is just one of a slew of recent art “experiences” designed to bring Instagram virality to brick-and-mortar spaces. These pop-ups—seemingly born from the candy-colored Museum of Ice Cream—share a common DNA and approach: Big colors, ‘Gram-tastic backdrops, and filter-ready lighting considerations aren’t merely framing for the art on view; they are the driving force.

For its part, Color Factory has enlisted a host of collaborators for the new exhibit, including writer Kassia St. Clair, creative Jason Polan, as well as local organizations including the quirkily-curated Mmuseumm and arts nonprofit 826NYC.

If you can’t wait until August 20 to get your fix, Color Factory is also collaborating with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum as part of the current exhibition, “Saturated: The Allure and Science of Color.” There a free public installation draws inspiration from the many hues of New York City, as seen through the eyes of the Color Factory team.

Color Factory’s “Colorwalk Map” with the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.

CFNY opens August 20 at 251 Spring Street in SoHo, open Thursday–Tuesday, 10 a.m.–11 p.m.; general admission tickets are available online for $38.


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