Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1439514
T he Orange Show Center for Visionary Art has announced plans for an expansion, anticipated for completion in 2026, that will cover eight acres and combine The Orange Show Monument and Smither Park with new exhibition and performance spaces. The centerpiece of the addition will be an 800-foot-long ramp running through the campus, creating an elevated promenade with year-round activations for iconic Art Cars and an adjoining structure for makers' spaces. The buildout will include offices, a comprehensive visionary art library and archive, and spaces for education and events. New York- and Houston-based architectural firm Rogers Partners has completed design of the project that is expected to cost in the tens of millions. Look for an announcement of the timeline and a capital campaign in the coming months. Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, 2402 Munger St., orangeshow.org. Shelby Hodge OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. ORANGE YOU EXCITED? S pace and all its mysteries are never far from Félix Lajeunesse's mind. The co-founder and creative director of Felix & Paul Studios has channeled his fascination with the cosmos into The Infinite, an interactive virtual reality experience that premiered at Sawyer Yards in December; Houston is the first U.S. city to host The Infinite. The immersive experience gives space enthusiasts and starry-eyed curiosity seekers the opportunity to take a virtual spacewalk and explore a life- size replica of the International Space Station. The groundbreaking experience uses specialized VR camera systems designed to operate in microgravity, take participants up close and personal alongside life in orbit with astronauts on the mission — a first in cinematic VR. The spacewalk follows astronauts Akihiko Hoshide of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! Agency (JAXA) and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency (ESA) as they maneuver outside the station, installing a support bracket for a new solar array. Footage for The Infinite was filmed over two years, showing the daily adventures of astronauts as they completed tasks ranging from the temporal to the extraordinary. "The camera became the protagonist of the story; we treated it like a person," Lajeunesse says. "You experience life as one of the astronauts." The Infinite lives up to its name, with 12,500 square feet of space split into different zones, each featuring its own ISS experience, thanks to the life-size reproduction of the space station to scale. Space Explorers: The ISS Experience won an Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Program at the 2021 awards, making it the third win for Felix & Paul Studios. The Infinite at 2000 Edwards St., through February 20; tickers at theinfiniteexperience. world. Heather Staible The Infinite comes to Houston. Orange Show expansion coming 2026 14