Challenge your perceptions in the mirror mazes of ‘Kaleidoscope,’ a giant optical illusion situated in the Garden of Unearthly Delights.
Designed to be enjoyed at your own pace, the premise for this all-ages inclusive activity seems simple – make your way through the maze to the exit – but once you enter the deceptively expansive structure, you realise it is anything but easy.
The interior walls of the maze are crafted from large scale mirrors whose reflections create a labyrinth of seemingly never-ending corridors designed to play on your sense of depth and spatial awareness. As you wander aimlessly, there is no way to tell if your chosen path will lead you further into the maze or straight into a dead end and the walls shook on Friday night (March 9) as enthusiastic participants collided unexpectedly with mirrors. Despite being able to see everything around you, it is almost impossible to know if what you are seeing is real, or a reflection and this quickly becomes disorientating. Many at our chosen session were walking around with their arms outstretched like zombies and while this does look hilarious, it is an effective way to navigate the twists and turns of the maze.
Adding to the confusion is the constantly changing lighting inside the maze as subtle hues of green, pink, blue, purple and red each have their own unique effect on the space around you, depending on how you perceive them. For me, certain colours gave the appearance of a small, closed in space while others made the walls appear to stretch on for miles and those looking to make the most of this lighting set up would do well to attend an after dark session.
‘Kaleidoscope’ features an eclectic soundtrack of musical scores and as a film buff, the strange sounds brought to mind images of 80’s sci fi films and old Dr Who episodes.
As there is no roof on the venue ‘Kaleidoscope’ can technically be considered an open-air event, however the proximity of the maze walls combined with the number of people inside the space can cause the venue to heat up and become claustrophobic and this is something to keep in mind if attending on a hot day/night. I attended the 8pm session on Friday March 9 (which proved a popular time) and after less than ten minutes of exploring, the crowded space had become uncomfortably hot in the evening heat.
A casual, family friendly activity that can be enjoyed day or night, ‘Kaleidoscope’ is a mind-bending experience you can get lost in.
