This was once just a dull pedestrian tunnel between two buildings in Washington. It has been completely transformed by artist Leo Villareal, who embedded more than 40,000 LED lights from one end of the tunnel to the other. Today, the light tunnel of Washington, D.C. has become one of the most popular installations at the National Gallery of Art. Those who come to see it are rewarded with a truly hypnotic experience. Those who discover it here are blown away by its affect.
The light tunnel by Leo Villareal, called “Multiverse”, is an array of 41,000 LED lights controlled by software designed by the artist. These LEDs extend across a 200-foot tunnel with moving walkways in both directions. The lights dance and evolve from one end of the tunnel to the other, providing an eye-opening experience for visitors of the National Gallery of Art.
Guests at the National Gallery of Art are often unaware of the light tunnel until they stumble upon it. It connects two wings of the gallery, located on the basement level next to a cafeteria. Aware or not, many of the visitors that experience the light tunnel spend plenty of time taking it in. Guests ride the moving walkway back-and-forth, watching the LEDs twinkle and dance across the 200-foot span. The software that drives the display shows plenty of variance, so guests could watch for quite a while before seeing any repetition.
related news: see our full travel photo essay of Washington D.C. on the 4th of July
The National Gallery of Art is open 7 days a week, and the light tunnel installation isn’t leaving any time soon. If you’re traveling to D.C., make your way to the basement of the gallery. Make sure to leave enough time for a few trips back-and-forth in the tunnel…
Filmed and edited by Seamus Payne
Music: “Send the Pain On” by Chrome Sparks
Available Now on iTunes
Used under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
