Mesmerize, a collaboration between Clay Lillard and Mateo Gutierrez, has opened a new immersive art space in South Austin.
Mr. Lillard and Mr. Gutierrez have created art and hosted events in Austin since 2008. The artistic duo launched their production company Independent Event Creatives in 2017 and the following year began presenting a series of art events called Mesmerize. In fall 2020, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, they opened Enter the Multiverse, a temporary immersive space at Native Hostel (a hostel and restaurant that has since closed). During its nine-month presentation, Enter the Multiverse welcomed over 18,000 visitors.
Mesmerize “Living Dream.”
Mesmerize’s latest endeavor Living Dream, is a permanent exhibition in a warehouse located at 820 Shelby Lane, Suite 106 in Austin. The exhibition is a maze of 15 installations that were brought to fruition by more than 50 local artists and volunteers. Artists featured in the space include Inne Aguilar, Bill Tavis, Hannah Busekrus, and Liza Fishbone.
Mesmerize “Living Dream.”
Similar to the arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf, which recently opened two Texas locations, Living Dream is an otherworldly space with an imaginative and all-encompassing narrative. The Mesmerize website speaks of the space’s story in fantastical terms. It explains, “A small facility in a South Austin industrial district has been fractured by this strange force of nature. Due to these crystals reportedly causing mass experiences of hyper vibrancy and warping reality, this Living Dream is being contained for further exploration.”
Tickets for Living Dream are available online only and cost $20, children age three and under enter free of charge. Learn more about the immersive space and purchase tickets via the Mesmerize website.
