ARTECHOUSE DC reopens Friday with dancing flamingos, a chatty AI penguin and a 45-minute projected show that wraps visitors in an 18K ocean world spanning a 280-degree digital canvas. The Southwest Washington venue has sat dark for about a year, and its return marks the debut of its largest group show to date, called the Submerge Project.
The closure traces back to nearby construction that shut the space down starting in May 2025, according to Washingtonian. As reported by NBC4 Washington, the reopened space at 1238 Maryland Avenue SW will run its projected show inside a floor-to-ceiling canvas that pulls visitors into scenes including an ocean world and, memorably, an astronaut DJing from space. Josh Feldman, ARTECHOUSE's senior marketing and revenue director, told the station that each animation transports visitors to a different world.
An 18K Show Built on Distributed Computing
The centerpiece projection, titled Beyond the Render, was produced using distributed GPU infrastructure from Render Network Foundation, according to the National Law Review. That setup let 13 artist teams render studio-scale 3D environments at speeds that distributed computing makes possible for independent digital creators working outside major production studios, per the same outlet's reporting. NBC4 Washington notes that the Submerge Project's roster includes artists who have previously worked with Zedd and ODESZA, alongside others experimenting with technology itself as their medium.
One standout piece, called 1685, is a digital stained-glass installation by artists David Ariew and Chelsea Evenstar set to an orchestral score from Zedd. Washingtonian reports that the visuals began as live effects Ariew created for the DJ's Coachella performances before being reworked into an architectural cathedral experience for the D.C. gallery.
Flamingos, a Talking Penguin, and 17 Installations
Beyond the main projection, the Submerge Project spreads across more than 17 interactive and immersive installations, per NBC4 Washington's report. Visitors can dance alongside animated flamingos in one side gallery, while another lets guests strike up a conversation with an AI-driven penguin named PR-3. The character, created by artist Gavin Shapiro, uses high-fidelity microphones to hear visitor questions and answer back in a witty, robotic voice, according to The Jewish Voice & Opinion.
Feldman told NBC4 Washington that ARTECHOUSE is dedicated to exploring the future of creativity and supporting artists who use technology as a medium. The gallery welcomes visitors of all ages and offers discounts for youth, seniors, students, locals, military members and first responders, the station reports, with adult tickets starting at $26.
A Yearlong Milestone for America's First Digital Art Space
ARTECHOUSE opened in June 2017 inside a 15,000-square-foot space that had sat vacant for more than 25 years, becoming the nation's first permanent digital art space, according to Villa Albertine. The venue was founded by husband-and-wife team Sandro Kereselidze and Tati Pastukhova, who had previously launched the D.C. arts organization Art Soiree in 2009, per Blooloop. Their goal, the outlet notes, was to give digital and new-media artists dedicated exhibition space and production support.
The D.C. flagship has since spawned a national network, with permanent ARTECHOUSE locations now open in New York City's Chelsea Market, Miami Beach, and a 26,000-square-foot Houston space that opened in June 2024, Hoodline previously reported. The Submerge Project also folds in ARTECHOUSE's open call program, which offers selected digital artists curatorial mentorship and production resources, with pathways to solo shows and national touring, according to the company's own website.
The gallery has long paired its projection systems with layered sound design, following a tradition that includes past D.C. commissions like Aṣẹ Afro Frequencies, a collaboration between artist Vince Fraser and poet Ursula Rucker, as District Fray Magazine has reported. Everything Immersive lists the Submerge Project as running for a full year, from Friday through September 9, 2027, with ARTECHOUSE DC open Thursdays through Sundays during the exhibition's run.
