The multi-award-winning stop-motion studio's newest and largest exhibit features immersive displays, film artifacts, and interactives spotlighting ‘Coraline;’ ‘ParaNorman;’ ‘The Boxtrolls;’ ‘Kubo and the Two Strings;’ ‘Missing Link;’ and the upcoming ‘Wildwood;’ show kicks off in March and runs through Summer 2024.
LAIKA and Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture have just announced a new exhibition that will showcase the creativity, artistry, and innovation that has made the stop-motion studio a global leader in animation. It will offer visitors an immersive look at the “hidden worlds” of LAIKA — both the characters' settings and a look behind the scenes of how the studio’s films were created.
“Hidden Worlds: The Films of LAIKA” opens March 17 at the Museum of Pop Culture. The exhibit spans more than 7,500 square feet of space with immersive displays, film artifacts, and interactives spotlighting Coraline (2009); ParaNorman (2012); The Boxtrolls (2014); Kubo and the Two Strings (2016); Missing Link (2019); and Wildwood (forthcoming). The exhibit will run through Summer 2024.
“LAIKA tells original, enduring stories with meaningful themes and a commitment to filmmaking innovation,” said MoPOP’s Director of Curatorial, Collections, and Exhibits Jacob McMurray. “We can’t wait to give our guests a peek behind the curtain into the world of stop motion animation and how emerging technologies are fused with timeless techniques to create LAIKA’s state-of-the-art film masterpieces.”
“LAIKA is a multifaceted community of dreamers, makers, storytellers, scientists, engineers, and artists all committed to make movies that matter,” said LAIKA’s Chief Marketing Officer and SVP Operations, David Burke. “We believe that cinema is a profoundly important and fertile landscape in which we can tell stories that will speak to global audiences, both now and for generations to come. Film is a universally shared cultural language, and it’s thrilling to be partnered with MoPOP, which celebrates the power of popular culture and the individuals who create that magic.”
Exhibition Highlights:
- More than 7,500 square feet of exhibition space with recreations of six LAIKA worlds, including specialty lighting, original exhibition films, and immersive scenic elements, such as a full-size version of the tunnel leading to the “Other World” in Coraline.
- Artifacts and sets from LAIKA films and the meaning brought to them by the artists and craftspeople who created them.
- MoPOP signature interactive elements allow visitors to take a “puppets-eye-view” of a LAIKA set or create their own stop motion animation using themselves as the puppet.
- Content demonstrating LAIKA's signature blend of traditional stop-motion animation paired with digital effects and rapid-prototype 3D printing.
Seeing The Exhibition:
- March 17, Friday - Member Preview Day
- March 17, Friday Evening - Public opening party with tickets on-sale mid-February.
- March 18, Saturday – The exhibition opens to the public.
Get tickets and information here.
Source: LAIKA
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
