Lauri Hafvenstein: Magic Staircase

Opening Reception: Friday, June 7

Artist Talk: Friday, August 2, 7 pm | During Art Walk

Lauri Hafvenstein
Magic Staircase

There’s a quiet spot hidden inside the Park that’s filled with magic – a simple staircase enclosed by a wall of glass blocks that connects art galleries to offices and classrooms in the renovated Art Deco Arcade Building. The magic happens late on sunny afternoons when the sun reaches a steep angle in the sky, setting the 20’ x 25’ glass wall ablaze, bathing the staircase in golden light.

The Vision
Deeply inspired by this space, Lauri Hafvenstein, an interdisciplinary artist based in Washington, DC, had a vision – to harness the power of this natural light (with help from her artist toolbox!) and transform the humble stairwell into a giant kaleidoscope – blanketing the space in a rainbow of luminous and ever-shifting color.

Technology & the Making of More Magic!
Two years in the making, Hafvenstein’s vision was fully realized in June, 2024, when she installed the last of more than 1250 pieces cut from colored and dichroic polyester film, some less than a quarter inch in diameter. Each was individually adhered by hand to the interior side of the window – a process that took 42 days to complete. The result is more magic! The images continually shift color as the sun’s angle and viewer’s position changes due to the refractive properties of the dichroic film, a specialized material that splits light into different wavelengths (colors). At certain times of the day, particularly late afternoon, colored patterns are projected onto the surrounding walls. Although the design is partially visible both inside the building and from the exterior during the day, its full scope is best appreciated when illuminated at night.

lauri-hafvenstein-magic-staircase

Treasure Hunt Game
Each of the designs in the window were inspired by architectural details and visual elements found throughout the park. Some are easily recognizable, such as the target on the front of the Arcade, others will require a bit more sleuthing to find. A simple Treasure Hunt Game for kids is available on site or can be downloaded here. A more challenging version that provides clues to all 19 different design elements can be downloaded here.

treasure hunt icon

Artist Biography

Photography by Jason Pentacost — Artist Lauri Hafvenstein
(image credit: Jason Pentacost)

Lauri Hafvenstein is an interdisciplinary artist/photographer who explores light and color in the context of place. A resident of Washington, DC, she finds the greater DC area a rich environment for fueling her creative practice, one that is as much about process as it is about what is produced. This flows from a unique set of personal passions and professional experiences including research, historic preservation, architectural color design, optics, and photography.

Each project begins with an immersive investigation – spending time feeling the energy in a place and carefully observing the light. This is followed by extensive research is essential – delving into archives, analyzing data, and time spent documenting a place.

The resulting works sometimes rely on natural light sources which are inherently dynamic and ephemeral, or they may be technology driven and thus more predictable and controlled. Her choice of media is determined by the story and site being explored and include print, sculpture, installation, video and sound. Lauri is especially drawn to materials that reflect, refract, or transmit light, with windows a recurring theme.

“My art is a response and my language is light. Through careful observation and experimentation, I am striving to capture for the viewer a moment of visual delight, when the everyday becomes, if only for an instant, something extraordinary.” -Lauri Hafvenstein

To learn more about Hafvenstein's work, visit (laurihafvenstein.com).

Acknowledgements
This project was made possible thanks to support from the Glen Echo Partnership for Arts and Culture and funding from:

corcorn women's committee