Last year I was at the Hirschhorn in DC looking at an exhibit that consisted of what resembled part of a jungle gym with a helmet on top. I told the friend I was with that I liked it, and he wanted to know what it meant. I suggested that it can mean whatever you get from it. Trying to get too close a grip on the meaning is like trying to discern a story from one sentence.

Now, I’ve read the descriptions of these things, and I know there is often an intended meaning. But, the way I look at it is, suppose Star Wars never existed, but someone showed you a model of R2D2. It would be missing the context of who that character is and what he does, but you still might think it was a cool looking robot or something. I interpret a lot of modern art as props from movies that were never made or even conceived. It’s like listening to jazz, enjoying a myriad of riffs and interplays that express what the artist feels at the moment. To me, the meaning is not the point, but rather the sensory impact, and imagination of where this could lead.

This brings us to Meow Wolf. The venue describes itself as a “Convergence Station” and features art created by more that 350 artists from around the world. It’s all built together as one giant immersive experience, with implications of a journey across different dimensions and planets. It’s not a ride, more like an immersive theme park world in the vein of Galaxy’s Edge or Diagon Alley. But the narrative is free flowing, like a modern art jazz performance. You wander through the four floors moving from one brief alien landscape to another. The entire place is the exhibit. How you experience it depends on the route you choose and how long you decide to spend in each area.

What’s undeniable is that walking through the realm puts your logical faculties to sleep. That knocks out your left brain and drives most your awareness to your right brain. As you wander through, you’re in a constant state of curiosity. You’re reorientating to the new worlds you’re stepping into every few feet. Even those who cling to their logic are forced to make up their own narratives of what is happening around them based on a thematically shifting stream of input. Surrounded by people, you’re still experiencing something unique, as your individual journey through the building unfolds. I’m under the impression there is some kind of narrative, but that I suspect, is just a way to activate another part of your inquisitive mind.