We Ran Away – To 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati

Last weekend we visited Cincinnati for an overnight anniversary dinner and stay and of course we needed to stop by one of my favorite places – 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati. These wonderful boutique hotels (located in Louisville, Cincinnati, Arkansas and soon to be Lexington) have rotating art exhibits which are free and open to the public 24 hours a day. The Cincinnati exhibit included this wonderful floor created by artist Brian Knep. The piece in titled Healing Tiles The tiles pulse throughout the day and use custom created algorithms to create a growing pool of organic patterns on the lobby floor. Left alone the patterns slowly pulsate and shift over the day. When each visitor walks across the piece the pieces tear apart and rebuild themselves. The artist compares the change “similar to a scar left behind when a wound heals.” Thus the tiles hold a history, or memory, of all the interactions within this public space. I should add that he is an artist in residence at Harvard Medical School where he works along side scientists. I found the floor fascinating and when I think of the metaphor of comparing it to the human body, and the human spirit, I loved it even more. I’m including a few pictures of what it looks like as one walks across it along with a You Tube interview with the artist that 21c sent me via Twitter. It is only a few minutes and well worth watching. If you are in the area, it is worth the drive to enjoy all of the exhibits at any 21c Hotel.

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