By: Viviana Manzo
Photo Credit: Fever
Santa Monica, CA (The Hollywood Times) December 5, 2024 – A new pop-up experience in Santa Monice is set to merge nostalgia with contemporary technology, reviving a beloved vintage toy through a highly immersive and interactive installation.
Lite-Brite: Worlds of Wonder opened on November 7 and is running through April at Santa Monica Place. It draws inspiration from the iconic Lite-Brite toy, which first captivated imaginations decades ago. While the original toy was a relatively simple light box designed for crafting illuminated images using colorful plastic pegs, this innovative pop-up will recontextualize the concept by integrating state-of-the-art LED technology, original artistic creations, and, of course, the toy itself, all within eleven thematically curated rooms. These immersive environments will traverse a range of fantastical settings, including underwater, prehistoric, and outer space landscapes.
Ryan Andal, President and CEO of Secret Location, the creative force behind the event, notes that the toy’s enduring appeal transcends generations. “Its nostalgic resonance is palpable, evoking a sense of shared experience that spans from the 1960s to present day,” he states.
Before the advent of digital screens and interactive games, Lite-Brite provided a tactile hands-on experience, allowing users to create glowing pictures and patterns on a black panel using multicolored pegs. This new pop-up will elevate that experience with features such as a luminous light tunnel, LED-illuminated rooms that visually echo the intricate designs once created on Lite-Brite, a play zone where visitors can engage with the classic toy, and a curated gallery showcasing contemporary artwork inspired by the iconic toy.
This exhibition promises to be a thought-provoking fusion of retro aesthetics and modern artistic sensibilities, offering a sophisticated exploration of memory, creativity, and technological innovation.
The experience-driven company FEVER is behind “Lite-Brite: Worlds of Wonder,” and tickets are now available online Here.
About Secret Location
Secret Location is a trailblazer in the realm of immersive experiences, seamlessly blending cutting-edge technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to transport audiences from the tangible world into the extraordinary. Their innovative creations offer a transformative journey, where the boundaries between reality and imagination dissolve, allowing users to engage in deeply immersive, otherworldly adventures. The company specializes in the creation, licensing, and global distribution of immersive attractions across a variety of venues, including entertainment centers, theme parks, and touring experiences. Once a subsidiary of Entertainment One/Hasbro, Secret Location has reclaimed its independence as a pioneering Canadian business, continuing to redefine the future of interactive entertainment. The team’s groundbreaking work has earned them a prestigious collection of awards, including the inaugural Primetime Emmy® for a Virtual Reality project, numerous Canadian Screen Awards, Cannes Lions, Webbys, and a Peabody Award, solidifying their reputation as leaders in the field of immersive storytelling.
