Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Meow Wolf gives new meaning to “art market”

Las Vegas faux grocery store Omega Mart delivers multiple immersive experiences from award-winning art collective

All photos courtesy Meow Wolf. Photos by Laurent Velazquez.

Omega Mart, the second permanent installation from Santa Fe-based arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf began welcoming its first visitors on February 18, 2021. The experience is the anchor space of AREA15, an immersive retail and entertainment complex located minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. Meow Wolf reports that Omega Mart sold out its first weekend.

Omega Mart is “America’s Most Exceptional Grocery Store” and “by far your most memorable trip to the market.” Combining one-of-a-kind interactive art elements with an in-depth narrative, the exhibit features 4 vast themed areas and 60 additional unique environments, including installation-filled rooms, terrains, and portals to other worlds which is brought to life by over 325 creatives. World-renowned musical and visual artists such as Beach House, Brian Eno, Amon Tobin, Shrine, and Android Jones are among the 50+ collaborators working to create this mind-bending experience, which Thrillist has named one of the top things they’re looking forward to in Vegas in 2021.

“From humble beginnings as an art collective in Santa Fe, Meow Wolf is proud to open our second permanent installation at AREA15 in Las Vegas,” said Jim Ward, Co-CEO of Meow Wolf. “Omega Mart is a visionary project and an ambitious exhibit brought to life by the creative genius of our team of artists and collaborators. We can’t wait for visitors to see what we have in store.”

“The concept for Omega Mart has been a part of Meow Wolf since the very beginning, and we can’t wait to bring this expansive experience to Las Vegas. Whether guests are operating machines in the Factory or transported to the Projected Desert via a trippy portal, Omega Mart is a truly interactive narrative experience.” said Emily Montoya, Meow Wolf Co-founder, SVP of Brand, and Creative Director of Omega Mart.

The anchor spaces of Omega Mart include:

OMEGA MART – Visitors will begin their journey in Omega Mart, which Meow Wolf playfully characterizes as the “#1 Grocery Store in The Worlds.” Modeled after a big-box grocery store, visitors can explore all of the wonderful products Omega Mart has to offer – such as Wake Up Please! Energy Drink, Whale Song Antiperspirant/Antidepressant, Nebula Loaf, and Americanized Beef…This space includes more than meets the eye, with displays that transport visitors to other worlds.

DRAMCORP OFFICES – On the second level of the exhibition, guests are invited to peek behind the curtain and enter the offices of Dramcorp, a fictional, family-owned business that “brought the idea of nationally-localized consumables to the American people” and the corporate entity behind Omega Mart. This Tron-inspired office space exists in an ether-spiritual realm, in a labyrinth-style maze.

THE FACTORY – Nestled in the heart of the exhibit, the Factory showcases Dramcorp’s mysterious operations and bizarre production procedures that create Omega Mart’s signature products. This space is a multi-level interactive playground – but be careful not to fall into the Source!

THE PROJECTED DESERT – A vast landscape of light, color, sound, and space, the Projected Desert features cutting-edge immersive video projection artwork stitched over a two-story landscape, transporting visitors from a high-desert box canyon, into a vibrant and serene immersion of psychedelic realms and transcendent interiors.

In addition to the anchor spaces, visitors can discover and explore a collection of unique rooms and spaces throughout the exhibition featuring work from artists such as Alex and Allyson Grey and Claudia Bueno among others. The exhibition also features the bar Datamosh serving classic drinks such as the Meowjito, Old Fashioned Spray, and The Source which will be open for guests 21 and over. Additional spaces within the exhibit will be phased in as the exhibition evolves.

Meow Wolf was honored with a TEA Thea Award for its Santa Fe, NM installation House of Eternal Return in 2017. The company is also building a third permanent installation in Denver, which is slated to open in late 2021.

Omega Mart will be open from 3:00pm until 9:00pm Monday through Thursday and from 3:00pm until 12:00am on Fridays. Weekend hours are 10:00am until 12:00am on Saturday and 10:00am until 8:00pm on Sundays. Hours are subject to change.

Tickets are available for pre-purchase for $45 for General Admission ($40 Children / Seniors / Military), and $35 for Nevada Residents ($30 Children / Seniors / Military). Attendees will be required to pre-book a time slot for entry. Tickets for Omega Mart are on sale at www.omegamart.com.

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