Color Factory New York – An Ode to the Big Apple

Color Factory New York is a 20,000 square foot multisensory art exhibit in Soho that explores the joy and importance of color through interactive installations and immersive rooms. Opened in August 2018, the Soho location of this wildly popular San Francisco attraction is an exciting, sensory experience that’s sure to change your view of color.

In this ode to the Big Apple, visitors are invited to immerse themselves in an array of curated experiences that celebrate the city’s colorful sights and vibrant culture. The interactive art experience, designed by event planner Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day, is a hot attraction that’s sold out nearly every month, so you’ll want to plan ahead and make your reservations online https://wegotrip.com/en/color-factory-new-york-t3781/ as soon as possible.

The experience is centered on the brilliant, everyday presence of color and features 16 participatory installations — from spinning pie charts to baby-blue ball pits to a disco-themed dance floor — that invite you to play with your senses. A range of artists, including Lakwena Maciver, Mmuseumm, Emmanuelle Moureaux, Jason Polan, Tamara Shopsin and Kassia St Clair are among the creatives who have collaborated to tell their own color stories.

Guests are also encouraged to take selfies throughout the exhibit — each room has a photo booth that takes your portrait in a range of colors. The machines are operated via a scannable QR code on a keycard that allows you to receive all your photos in a PDF file sent directly to your email address after you visit the exhibit.

A number of the installations also encourage you to connect with others in your group, whether it’s through an animated display that reads “You Are Magic” or a room that requires you to hold eye contact with the person you’re sitting next to while you draw a portrait of them.

Other spaces ask you to consider the colors of the clothes, hair and eyes of your partner as you do a line drawing of them. You’ll also find a couple of sponsored rooms by Gymboree and Maybelline.

In addition to the playful participatory installations, Color Factory NYC offers a series of curated experiences that reflect the unique spirit of the city and its people. For example, Andrew Kuo’s spinning pie charts turn his observations about New York life into infographic merry-go-rounds that allow you to spin around in circles and take a gander at what it means to live your best life in the city.

Another highlight is the olfactory overload of colors you’ll experience in a hallway space that prompts you to sniff your way through an assortment of scented jars. The odors vary, depending on the installation, but the scents are often in line with a particular artist’s work.

As an added bonus, the exhibit offers a variety of tasty treats and keepsakes. For example, the museum sells a limited-edition set of ice cream scoops crafted in the Color Factory’s signature palette of colorful hues. You can also purchase a Color Factory NYC postcard.