Effulgence of the North, the Velaslavasay Panorama

The Velaslavasay Panorama brings into public awareness the aesthetic and imaginative value of art forms that faded since the birth of cinema. Anchored by immersive panorama paintings of the 19th Century, the Velaslavasay is dedicated to the production and presentation of unusual visual experiences. Since 2001, the Velaslavasay has housed the only 360-degree panorama viewing hall in the West. Beyond that lies an extensive garden design, a theatre space and an interchanging exhibit salon where we collaborate with a variety of artists on events that examine the interplay of past and present within the guise of public amusement.

The current panorama on view is The Effulgence of the North, which combines the 19th-century fixation on finding the northwest passage with imagined accounts of the arctic in science fiction to create a painted landscape depicting the Arctic regions at night, enhanced by a 35-minute sound and light design by artist Moritz Fehr and a faux terrain of treacherous icebergs sculpted by Asami Morita.

The Effulgence of the North is an immersive experience of the Arctic in Los Angeles which helps brings awareness to the special nature of the landscape and the need for preservation and appreciation instead of degradation.