A new immersive and interactive art festival is coming to San Diego in September.
On Sept. 2, ENVZN23: Urban Art Takeover will transform industrial spaces and other urban areas in Logan Heights with multi-sensory art interventions created by over 40 artists and arts organizations from both sides of the border.
“ENVZN23 will bridge people and art across borders and boundaries to highlight some of the region’s most innovative creators. We are very excited to shine a light on the local color and beauty of the Logan Heights community and share the virtuosity of our creative workforce with a world audience,” Vanguard Culture Founder and Executive Director Susanna Peredo Swap said in a statement.
There will be live dance, theater, puppetry and music performances, as well as a fashion show by Fashion Week San Diego, and art installations and a film festival in unexpected places such as warehouses, buildings, and a cross-fit gym. Artists will respond to their environment integrating light and sound designs across the Commercial Street corridor, creating a multi-sensory experience for visitors.
The programming will begin with a culinary and wine VIP experience (must purchase VIP ticket) and will culminate from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with the cultural program presenting exhibitions by artists José Hugo Sánchez, XoQUE and Natalie González among others, as well as interactive activities throughout the corridor.
Participating artists of ENVZN23: Urban Art Takeover on September 2 in Logan Heights.
(Courtesy of Vanguard Culture)
Some of the activities include a printmaking workshop on fabric, a communal music experience using flower pots, and an audience intervention involving a Native American woman sculpture.
The film festival includes the short series “Resistance Creates Beauty,” created by a founding member of the comedy troupe Culture Clash, as well as other short films presented by the San Diego Filipino Cinema and the San Diego Italian Film Festival.
The cultural program will celebrate the 30th anniversary of San Diego Sister Cities Association with an immersive presentation of various cultures with video, fashion and cultural traditions. Offerings also include chalk artists working in real-time for ChalkWalk; performances by local dance companies interacting with the space and audience; and several theater companies will present projects such as The Frontera Project made up by binational artists, and the play “Parking sin estrellas” by Abordo Teatro, in which puppets will tell the story in Spanish of a little boy and his excursion through the dangerous and chaotic Zona Norte in Tijuana.
For programming updates, check the festival’s website: www.vanguardculture.com/envzn-23/
Participating artists of ENVZN23: Urban Art Takeover on September 2 in Logan Heights.
(Cortesía de Vanguard Culture)
Organized by the nonprofit arts organization Vanguard Culture, ENVZN will be an annual event starting this year. Its second iteration will be part of the year-long celebrations of the World Design Capital 2024, through which the festival will celebrate the art and culture of the region for an international audience.
“World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024 is proud to support the ENVZN23 festival, an innovative example of mobilizing design to both showcase our region’s culture and transform our community,” said Carlos de la Mora, chief executive officer of WDC 2024. “Events like ENVZN23 are great opportunities to promote transborder collaboration of the arts, share the culture of the region, and show the world how we can use design to improve the lives of our community’s residents.”
ENVZN23 was born as an expanded version of Vanguard Culture’s IDEA 1 2018 program, in which more than 80 artists transformed 15 apartments and common areas in a downtown San Diego building with immersive culinary and visual experiences alluding to the theme of the five senses.
The VIP preview party will take place May 23 at which people will be able to meet the festival’s creative team as well as the participating artists, elected officials, sponsors and community members.
ENVZN23 will happen Sept. 2 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. All-ages event. Food and drinks available for purchase. Admission $20 for Logan Heights residents showing ID and for professional creatives showing business card; $30 for general admission when purchasing before Aug. 14, and $40 after Aug. 15: VIP tickets are $125. Programming will take place between The Soap Factory on 2995 Commercial St. and the 32nd & Commercial Street trolley station.
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