Panorama artist Gabriel Pulecio made a light tunnel with infinity mirrors and Kinects

The Panorama music festival is coming up in just over a month, and we're excited about it — it's where our focus on the collision of technology, science, art, and culture comes to life with headliners like Kendrick Lamar, LCD Soundsystem, and Arcade Fire. Last week we announced The Lab, a 70-foot video dome that acts as a fully immersive 360-degree VR theater, all powered by our sponsor HP. And starting today, we're taking the chance to showcase the innovative artists creating installations to bring those collisions into focus over the next few weeks.

Now, when it comes to art, nothing beats experiencing it first hand. You don't have to be an adherent of Walter Benjamin's to believe that something fundamental is lost when reproduced in a photo or on a screen. (Seeing Beyoncé live is different than watching Lemonade, for instance.) The stakes only get higher with interactive art. Walking into a space that responds to your presence effectively makes you a part of the piece itself. It's hard to appreciate that kind of work on your MacBook. You need to be there.

INFINITE REFLECTIONS CREATED WITH LIGHTS, MIRRORS, AND KINECT SENSORS

It's here that artists like Gabriel Pulecio are pushing boundaries. Working under the name Lustix, the Brooklyn-based Pulecio makes installations and interactive sculptures using 3D-printed materials and computers to blend the physical with the digital. Pulecio's mission is to make art an experience that connects people, and he uses technology to achieve that. His latest piece, the Infinite Wall — which was completed for next month's Panorama Festival in New York — is a tunnel lined with mirrors, lights, and an array of Kinect sensors. When visitors step into the tunnel, the Kinects respond and activate the lights, creating infinite reflections in all directions. He hopes that visitors will feel a bit like they're floating as they walk through the installation.

Pulecio isn't the only artist showcasing his work at Panorama. Six other digital installations designed to excite festivalgoers will be showcased at The Lab. The projects there range from a cotton candy theremin to an oversized phone screen, and all will excite anyone fascinated by technology and art. Panorama runs from July 22nd through the 24th at Randall's Island Park in New York City. Don't miss it.