The Test Lab Tests Chicago Late-Night Scene

In the last 10 years or so, Chicago’s artist community has seen a new migration of visionary creators ready to be inspired by the sights and sounds the city has to offer. The most satisfying feeling is to see these talented producers come together and use their collective powers for a positive experience. One group of artist has done just that, and much more. Many times we are told to think outside of the box, but these artists have combined their unique talents which has allowed them to create the box that we often contemplate about.

The Test Lab is much more than just a party or event, it is the brain child of two innovated collectives, Imago and Eight Cell. When brought together, their piece surrounds the audience with a live interactive experience that they will soon crave to witness again and again. The Modular Triangle structure was designed and built by Imago, an art and design collective based out of Chicago, whose focus is on immersive installation work.

With the Modular Triangle structure in place, Eight Cell was able to harness their digital powers and bring the whole piece to life by projecting mapped visuals on the triangular shaped stage which was timed to the pacing of the music.

At times, one could see people in the audience stop dancing and become totally hypnotized by the mind bending images projected off the illuminated stage. The sounds for the evening were provided by an array of mixmasters on the tables such as DJ Mental 312, Th3rd World from the C.O.O.L. Cats, AZTEK (Them Flavors) and the Test Lab resident DJ, EasyJack. All kept the vibe going throughout with no silence or break in movement to be had. And of course non of this could have been possible without the magnificent folks at Nebulon Media who provided the turntables, the sounds system and lighting controllers for the evening.

But this event was much larger than all the artists combined. It took sacrifices from each member participating, ranging from people behind the bar serving drinks to volunteers walking around with a garbage bag picking up the wounded soldiers. There was a sense of community one could feel right when you walked into the loft-turned-venue, and it only grew stronger and stronger the longer you stayed there. The best parties are the ones you feel most comfortable being yourself in, and this one seemed to have all the components assembled to put your mind at ease and send it on a visually inspired journey.

Only the mind can conceive what the future holds for the Test Lab crew. They are always looking to reach out to new collectives and groups of artist to work with to push the limits of this culture infused experiment. This is only one of the first experiments by these amazing groups of artists. This summer, Imago will be returning to the Electric Forest Music Festival in Rothbury, Michigan with another interactive installment that will be exhibited within the festival grounds.