“Every element in the exhibition weaves together a tapestry of characters, stories, and worlds.”

Dale Sheehan
SVP and Executive Creative Director
Meow Wolf
.…on the July 14 opening of Meow Wolf at Grapevine Mills mall.

July 14 is when they stormed the Bastille, but this year people may be storming Grapevine Mills mall instead. Because that’s the day Meow Wolf Grapevine’s “The Real Unreal” is opening after years of preparation.  

Meow Wolf says its Grapevine exhibition is “a journey through a technicolor wonderland that blends storytelling, technology, and immersive art.” Different dimensions of perspective and creativity will be on display through more than 30 rooms of “multidimensional art and compelling narrative.”

There’s a storyline behind what you’ll see inside, involving “a missing boy, a chosen family, and Hapulusgarrulus Lophoaquaflori.” Conceived by author LaShawn Wanak, the journey begins with a blended family who has unknowingly unlocked portals to a different existence. “As participants investigate these portals to the unknown, they will explore rooms that are both unfamiliar yet accessible through unforgettable psychedelic art,” Meow Wolf says.

“When participants step into The Real Unreal, they start a cosmic odyssey where surprises await around every corner, and each discovery sparks its own story,” Meow Wolf SVP and Executive Creative Director Dale Sheehan said in a statement. “Every element in the exhibition weaves together a tapestry of characters, stories, and worlds. The creative energy of The Real Unreal extends beyond the physical, and leads to a potential unlimited host of cosmic side-effects.”

150 artists and fabricators created what’s inside

Kevin Sennott working on a light sculpture for Meow Wolf at Grapevine Mills [Photo: Shayla Blatchford]

Meow Wolf Grapevine’s artistic installations were created by 150 artists and fabricators, including 38 from Texas, devising 70 unique experiences within “The Real Unreal.” Muralists, sculptors, photographers, undermallers, and video game designers are among the artists who’ve collaborated on the narrative-driven installation. Artists working on the project include Dan Lam, Emmanuelle John, Mariell Guzman, Lance McGoldrick, XaLaVier Nelson Jr., Riley Holloway, and Nico Salazar (Future Fantasy Delight).

Jose Tolosa, CEO of Meow Wolf, says the Grapevine installation has been in the works for years “and takes a bold step forward in our evolution of art and storytelling,”

“As we pursue sustainable and thoughtful expansion, we are beyond excited to bring our unique brand of wonder unveiling this next chapter of the Meow Wolf universe and look forward to having new participants experience Meow Wolf,” Tolosa said in a statement.

Millions have visited Meow Wolf installations in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Denver

Ricardo Paniagua walking out of the studio at Meow Wolf Grapevine. [Photo: Jordan Mathis]

We told you last year about Meow Wolf’s date with DFW. Founded in 2008, Meow Wolf creates immersive and interactive art experiences “that transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration,” the company says, as millions of visitors to its installations in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and Denver would tell you. 

To give you an insight into the Meow Wolf way of thinking, here’s what it said about what sounds like a ticket booth outside the entrance: “As a means to prepare visitors’ auras for this life-altering anomaly, Meow Wolf invited a mysterious creative wellness brand Laernü to create a pop-up experience at the mall. Laernü’s custom supplements and educational courses support practices to tap into creativity from universes beyond our own at unaffordable prices. This pop-up appeared from a rhombus-shaped cloud on May 16. Given the ephemeral nature of multiversal pop-ups, curious earthlings interested in Laernü’s offerings should visit the Grapevine Mills directly outside The Real Unreal quickly! Visitors can play and retrieve a myriad of otherworldly ephemera—including Meow Wolf tickets—from Laernü’s claw machine.”

Okay… If that doesn’t let you know that things will be a little different for anyone walking inside Meow Wolf, we don’t know what will. In addition to the exhibition, The Real Unreal will also include a cafe, retail store, and venue for live events. Meow Wolf Grapevine will be open seven days a week, with hours varying. Tickets are on sale now.

For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.

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