The sun sets on the gently rolling hills as the audience members take their positions, strolling along the pathways or seated on the terrace.
The performance is about to begin.
As the light in the sky diminishes, the lights on the stage — a 15-acre meadow — come alive. One hundred thousand of them carpet the landscape, in shimmering colors that change as the evening progresses.
This is “Field of Light,” a solar-powered sensation from visionary Bruce Munro.
Artist Bruce Munro’s signature immersive artwork, ‘Field of Light,’ has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to Sensorio in Paso Robles. (Photo courtesy of Sensorio)
The renowned British artist has famously illuminated the vast Australian outback near Uluru. Placed a sea of shimmering CDs in an English village. And dreamt up eye-catching and inspiring art for the grounds of Saratoga’s Villa Montalvo — his first major installation on the West Coast.
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For the past five years, his creations on California’s Central Coast have dazzled hundreds of thousands of visitors at what’s called Sensorio, a 386-acre canvas. The installations are located along Highway 46 in Paso Robles — or what Sensorio calls “the intersection of art, technology and nature.”
A better description might be the intersection of art, technology, nature — and wine, this being Paso wine country. And the gallery is growing, experience by experience, to the delight of tourists, residents and the hospitality industry.
The majority of guests have traveled here to visit wineries and other sights during the day. “Sensorio offers a great nightcap,” general manager Ryan Hopple says. “It’s awe-inspiring to meet people from around the world and around the U.S. and to walk around at night and hear all the different languages.”
Founders Ken and Bobbi Hunter are locals who saw Munro’s Uluru project years ago and were inspired to create “a playground for the mind” that would take advantage of the Paso topography, Hopple said. They have plans to build a fine-dining restaurant onsite and later, hotels and a conference center.
Meantime, the collection here has grown by three more Munro exhibits and the site’s first non-Munro installation.
Bruce Munro fashioned his “Light Towers” artwork from 17,000 wine bottles. The glowing fibers within these towers change colors as the musical score plays. (Photo courtesy of Sensorio)
Munro’s “Light Towers” artwork gives new meaning to the term “site specific” — he fashioned this installation from 17,000 wine bottles. The glowing fibers within these towers change colors as the musical score plays. “Gone Fishing” is a whimsical take on that contemplative pastime that features hundreds of lighted fishing rods. And with “Fireflies” — 10,000 floating, swaying points of light — Munro said he hopes to instill “a sense of wonder and surprise” in those who view the exhibit.
The newest artwork made its debut earlier this year. “Dimensions,” created by Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk’s Los Angeles art consortium called HybyCozo, is an immersive, geometric exhibit that invites visitors to interact with the large metal sculptures through touch or shadow play. A 33-minute soundtrack by musician Allen Hulsey accompanies the installation.
Coming soon is a fifth Munro installation. He is currently at work on FOSO, which stands for Fiber Optic Symphony Orchestra, a synchronized concert of music and light. Visitors will be encouraged to walk through the exhibit, even view the scene from a viewing platform or “conductor’s box” overhead.
FOSO is tentatively expected to join the Sensorio landscape in February.
Details: Sensorio is open Thursday-Sunday evenings. Tickets range from $30 for a “Dimensions” exhibit pass to $140 for an all-access Terrace Exhibit pass. Visitors are advised to book well in advance, though tickets are sometimes available at the gate. Sensorio is located at 4380 Highway 46 East, Paso Robles; https://sensoriopaso.com/.