Museum of Holography new York

It's hard to describe the kind of excitement we felt when we first heard a new holograph center would be opening in Queens this fall. However in retrospect, it actually went something like this: "holograms!!"

The thought of one of the world's most beloved optical illusions having at least a semi-permanent home where visitors could experience the true range of this medium was exhilarating to say the least. Naturally we set out to find out more about this mysterious organization that would be setting-up tent, at least temporarily, inside the LIC clock tower. Below are a few questions we asked Director, Martina Mrongovius.

First off, will this be a permanent center?

We hope so. Through arts organization No Longer Empty, Andover Realty donated us this space for 12 months. We have put a lot of work into its conception and execution, and really hope that Andover Realty will continue to support us in this location for the years to come.

What is the mission of the center?

The Center for the Holographic Arts (Holocenter) is an organization dedicated to promoting and developing holography as art medium. We work with artists to enable them to gain skills and produce holographic art. Meanwhile our exhibitions and educational programs give the public the opportunity to engage with this unique medium.

Ana Maria Nicholson, Into The Night

The longer explanation is that the The Center for the Holographic Arts (Holocenter) is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and developing holographic artwork.

The Holocenter was founded by respected holographic artists Ana Maria Nicholson and Dan Schweitzer in 1998. As one of the only holographic arts organizations in existence, our mission is to ensure that holography continues to be a creative practice. Holography is unique in its capacity to bring virtual understandings into contemporary dialogues around media participation, technology and visuo-spatialinformation. The Holocenter has four main objectives: production, exhibition, research and education.

As the current Director, I work with artists and holography studios around the world as a technical and artistic
consultant. Based in Long Island City, New York, the Holocenter facilitates exhibitions and educational opportunities.

Ray Park, The Coexistence - banana, 2011