Reviewer’s name: Samuel Roldán
Age: 10
What made the experience stand out?
The setting and how the artists designed the space felt magical to me. This art studio is kind of hidden and it’s dark but not scary. You just don’t know what to expect in there because none of the art is off-limits like at a museum. Crawling through tunnels, walking through strange areas and touching different textures is what you have to do there.
What was the best part?
Going there gives you a surge of curiosity! The tunnels were my favorite area.
What was the worst part?
When we first went inside, one of the artists told me there were two ways to get inside the exhibition: just walking through the door or standing on someone’s shoulders and climbing inside a tiny second-story entrance to go through the top part of a black curtain. I wanted to try that one but my Dad wasn’t okay with me trying on his shoulders and my Mom is pregnant so that wasn’t going to happen. I really want to climb through from that side.
Will other kids like the exhibition?
Of course! Kids are more open to it than adults, I think, because everything is new to us anyway. Adults are always looking for what they already know. I wish the studio was bigger because I liked seeing everything it had. It only took about 30 minutes for us to visit but I would have stayed longer if there was more to see. Other kids should go soon, though, because the exhibition is over at the end of February. I wonder what they’re going to do with all the pieces?
Would this venue be enjoyed by your siblings? Why or why not?
Yes, my brothers are 2 and 5 and they liked going everywhere in there. Isaac is my middle brother and he loves insects and beehives. There was a giant beehive swing and there were insects on a picnic in the glass of a stoplight.
If you could do this again, knowing what you know now about the studio, what would you do differently?
I would figure out how to climb in from the top! I’d like to come back and see it again because the art changes each Thursday. Artists redo everything in there week after week and it’s free to see the art, so we could stop by and see how it changes.
Does anything you saw match up with what you’re doing in school or have seen somewhere else before?
My Mom made me read parts of “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, which is a very weird book, and it reminded me of that. The space is very small but it feels like a different universe in the center of the city, like falling down the rabbit hole.
What do you think you’ll remember most about Factory Obscura’s SHIFT exhibition?
I’ll remember how creative it was. It’s not easy to forget all the neon colors and cool patterns. When I have to make something cool, I’ll think about them.
Factory Obscura’s SHIFT exhibition is free to the public. Hours are Thursday through Sunday each week from noon to 6 p.m. The exhibition ends Feb. 25.
[Editor's Note: Read all our Kid Reviews at www.metrofamilymagazine.com/Kid-Reviews/]