This celebratory exhibition will make you rethink color

February 19, 2019 // By Lois Alter Mark

By Lois Alter Mark
Travel Expert February 19, 2019

Surrounded by color Photo courtesy of Color Factory

Surrounded by color

Color Factory, in New York's SoHo, is a collaboratively-produced art experience inspired by the rainbow palette of the city. The multisensory exhibit features 16 interactive installations that celebrate the joy and power of color. You'll be tickled pink. Or blue. Or yellow.

Get a taste of color Photo courtesy of Lois Alter Mark

Get a taste of color

Start your journey by choosing a macaron fresh from the moving conveyor belt. Color Factory matched its colors with the flavors of Mille-Feuille's tasty little treats, and the result is a delight for the senses.

Red hot dance floor Photo courtesy of Color Factory

Red hot dance floor

This dance floor is lit! Strike a pose, get into the groove or shake it off in this luminous room, where you're in the spotlight. Make some music, check out your partner's moves, and reflect on the flattering rosy hues. Then cool off with a cup of raspberry soda.

Having a ball Photo courtesy of Color Factory

Having a ball

Channel your inner child and jump into the gigantic ball pit, where it is impossible to feel blue. This soothing shade will relax and re-energize you, especially when enjoyed after a spoonful of the color-coordinated gelato.

Decisions, decisions Photo courtesy of Color Factory

Decisions, decisions

One of Color Factory's most thought-provoking installations leads you on a quest through a room-sized black and white flow chart to find your secret color. Answer the questions honestly to follow your path. The results may surprise you.

Balloon wishes Photo courtesy of Color Factory

Balloon wishes

This ombre-colored room is filled with balloons, which are always moving. What's most moving, though, are the words written on them: they're wishes for the world from the students at 826NYC.

Shades of music Photo courtesy of Color Factory

Shades of music

This collaborative installation between world-renowned street artist Lakwena and musician Abimaro explores a perfect cadence, the magnetic relationship between the first and fifth note in a scale. Pick up a mallet, play the chimes, and listen for the call and response between the notes. Absorb the vibration of the words and colors as they flow through you.

Pick a color, any color Photo courtesy of Lois Alter Mark

Pick a color, any color

One of the many gifts you receive at Color Factory is a button in your favorite hue. Just pop it off the wall of the Rainbow Hall and pin it on. When you reach the "From Absinthe to Zephyr: An Alternative Alphabet of Unusual Colors" installation, match your color, pull out the corresponding drawer and learn more about it. This is Baker-Miller Pink.

Take a spin on the color wheel Photo courtesy of Color Factory

Take a spin on the color wheel

Lie down on one of Andrew Kuo's merry-go-round pie charts about the joys and frustrations of city life, and take a dizzying ride around and around. Be sure to smile up at the camera so you can receive a video of your experience. (Color Factory uses innovative photo booth technology to send lots of pictures to your phone, as part of your visit.)

Paint the town Photo courtesy of Color Factory

Paint the town

At the end of your visit, grab a copy of Color Factory's exclusive neighborhood map, featuring over 20 unique and colorful experiences hidden throughout downtown Manhattan. They're a reminder that there's so much rich and vibrant artwork to explore if you just take the time to look, and they inspire you to view the city through rose-colored glasses. Color us thrilled!

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About Lois Alter Mark

Lois Alter Mark is an award-winning travel and lifestyle writer who also writes regularly for Forbes and Reader's Digest. She writes about everything from luxury cruises and spas to quirky restaurants and street art. A former New Yorker, Lois now lives in San Diego where she's turned into a weather wimp and is still searching for a good slice of pizza.