I popped into the Exploratorium's recent fund raising gala and was told the event had raised $1.5 million, $300K more than it expected. Which is fabulous news because there were some job cuts last year.

I'm a big fan of the Exploratorium but the transition to it's new location has taken time to build up visitor numbers. I love the new location and the Exploratorium has managed to recreate the look and feel of the old place at the Palace of Fine Arts. Plus it's three times larger. 

Thursday evenings at the Exploratorium are a great time to visit because there's a special theme for each "After Dark" event, lectures, and there's a bar too, plus a great looking crowd. This Thursday:

Off the Screen: Doors of Perception

Thursday, May 29, 2014 • 8:00 p.m.

Location:  Exploratorium, Pier 15, Kanbar Forum

These new and newly preserved experimental shorts craft visual illusions and allusions that flicker in your mind's eye long after appearing on screen. Using aesthetic techniques ranging from painstakingly hand-drawn animation to early computer technologies, these films approach visual and temporal perception with new eyes. As Islamic patterns move in careful synch and line drawings literally explode from the screen, another plane of vision emerges, creating a deepened and memorable viewing experience.

Featuring:

• Kitsch in Sync (1975) by Adam Beckett


• Two Space (1985/ 2013) by Larry Cuba


• Cyclopean Perception (1973) by Enrico Chiarucci and Bela Julesz

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Here's some photos from the Gala fundraising party and recent Exploratorium events:

A bull's penis.

Bugs in a doll's house.