Growing up in Cincinnati, you likely get excited about the following things: The Bengals, The Bearcats, The Cyclones, Over-The-Rhine, Oktoberfest and since its inception, Blink Festival.
Over the weekend, the city rejoiced at the return of the nation's Largest Art and Visual festival for the first time since 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blink showcases unique art and culture from Southwestern Ohio in new and fascinating ways within the 30+ city blocks in Cincinnati. It showcases talent from around the U.S. and the World; here are five of the best projections from Blink:
1. "Blink Logo'"
What would an article about Blink be without the Logo for the event itself? This year, Blink presented a drone projection show, where various drones took to the night sky and floated over the Ohio River, making for some incredible visual projections before it broke out the corporate brought to you by AltaFiber. But, of course, these drones must and will represent the local telecommunications company while at it.
2. “Care Bear"
"Care Bear" is an adaptation of Michael Coppage's BLACK BOX Project, a mural in Cincinnati designed to highlight Black men positively. Coppage, originally from Chicago, has made Cincinnati his home since 2007 as a mixed media artist. Here, his piece "Care Bear" shows the importance of celebrating one's city and its people. In this case, it is wearing a Cincinnati t-shirt with hearts bubbling over the top, showing the love for Cincinnati and the genuine pride Cincinnatians have for this City.
3. “Kiss Emoji”
This projection depicted that we need more peace, love and kisses with everything going on in this world. I couldn't agree more. If you don't have that in your life right now, here's one for you, and I hope it gets better. This piece was a part of "ElectriFi" which aims to celebrate Cincinnati's ability to generate sustainable energy and is sponsored by Fifth Third Bank. A banking company caring about energy consumption? Nice.
4. “Make America Fascist Again"
Despite anyone’s political beliefs, this piece emphasizes the importance of voting -- especially this November in the Ohio election. Head to your local ballot station and cast your vote. Early voting is available now in Ohio, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Make your voice heard.
5. “New Lines"
Among the various murals, artworks and animation projections, Blink also provided some neat neon and laser exhibits ranging from Alleyology, which is my favorite, to this piece titled "New Lines." The work aims to tackle the all-too-common concern of safety and visibility while walking at night, especially down alleys. I recommend checking some out in your lifetime, it's worth it. Although, maybe just do it during the day.
