Photo By Janecze Wright | Our favorite exhibit at the Museum of Illlusions during our visit May 3, 2024, was the...... read more read more
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CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — I have always been enthralled by sleight-of-hand antics and things that are nothing like they appear. So, when I accompanied my sister, Rhan Cavil-McCarther, her wife, Edwina McCarther, and her best friend, Tashonna Bonner, to the Museum of Illusions during a visit to Charlotte, North Carolina, I knew I was in for a treat.
The word “illusion” conjures many definitions. A deceptive appearance or impression, a false idea or belief, or something wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses. The museum utilizes these concepts to create exhibits that distort and challenge the understanding of space, geometry and perception — and we were there for it!
Many of the exhibits were interactive and spurred visitors to get creative and think outside the proverbial box. As such, we were most intrigued by, and, I must admit, had the most fun with, the Building Illusion exhibit.
The exhibit consists of a structure holding mirrors reflecting the image at a 45-degree angle. On the floor, the objects create a part of the building’s façade. The incline creates an illusion that gravity has changed direction 90 degrees.
Posed in various positions on the floor, the mirrors created an illusion of us hanging out on the outside of a building, our poses humorously matching our quirky personalities.
Another exhibit that used angles to create a forced perspective was the Ames Room. The illusion plays with the concepts of shape, depth and size to trick the eye. Though we are all relatively the same height, the illusion depicted us drastically taller and shorter. While some of the exhibits tested us physically, others like the Light Bulb and Jastrow Illusions challenged our optical dexterity.
With the Light Bulb Illusion, visitors were instructed to gaze at the black light bulb for 30 seconds then immediately turn their gaze away, revealing the illusion of a glowing light bulb.
The Jastrow Illusion instructed visitors to decide which of two lines appeared to be longer. When compared to a third line, one of the first two lines appeared to be distinctly larger than the other, but the result was surprising.
Both exhibits create an alternate perception of reality that leaves you questioning how it’s possible.
Exhibits like the Symmetry Room — where we took hilarious photos, revealing a room perceived as a whole, but was really only a half — and the Kaleidoscope — an optical illusion that reveals symmetrical patterns and invokes nostalgic memories of childhood — made us smile inside and out.
The “T” Puzzle, four puzzle pieces that form a capital T, channeled the competitors in us and left us literally and figuratively puzzled, until a museum employee graciously unlocked the mystery.
We left the museum with a newfound respect for what can be achieved with a bit of ingenuity, geometrical savvy and pure creativity that left us wanting and pondering more.
Museum of Illusions is a retail chain with locations nationwide. We visited the location in Charlotte, but, fortunately, you don’t have to travel that far. The location just an hour away in Austin provides the same unique experience for the young and young at heart. Visit museumofillusions.com for more information or moiaustin.com for the Austin location.
| Date Taken: | 05.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2024 09:05 |
| Story ID: | 471476 |
| Location: | CHARLOTTE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Museum of Illusions defies reality, by Janecze Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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