Sometimes the mind plays tricks on the eyes and sometimes it’s the eyes that play tricks on the mind!
Visitors to the World of Illusions – prepare to question the very fabric of reality and to have your senses warped!
Gateway Theatre of Shopping produces a meticulous installation of six ‘rooms’ which feature insane optical illusions which will completely confuse and bewilder (in the best possible way) all who step inside and capture the moment. “It’s a shape-shifting, mind-bending experience,” says Gateway Theatre of Shopping Marketing Manager, Michelle Shelley. “We wanted to create an immersive experience which would turn the ordinary upside down,” explains Shelley. “Families and friends can come to have fun, take photos and scratch their heads in disbelief at what their photos reveal.”
Not wanting to give too much away before the official opening on Friday 28 May, Shelley says they have chosen to bring six of the best illusions to the space on the Cinema Level, for their visitors’ enjoyment.
Intrigue and Excitement
Tricks of the mind have enamoured and intrigued even the brightest amongst us since the earliest centuries. Aristotle and Plato wrote famously about influences of the mind, environment, senses, and assumptions on what appeared to be real but was simply a fabrication of the mind. Artists, architects, and entertainers have to been playing with perspectives ever since, dazzling with the art of perception and persuasion.
Come and be Wowed
“We can’t wait for visitors to be wowed and left questioning what is true and what isn’t explained Shelley, saying further that “what you see is a matter of your perspective,” and for that precise reason, the illusions have been designed to ensure maximum share-ability on social media.
Share the fun and blow your friends’ minds too!
Details:
- Covid-19 protocols have been implemented.
- Social distancing is to be observed, and masks worn at all times.
- The area is open during trading hours
- Located on the Cinema level
- Free entrance
Six illusions have been chosen to intrigue young and old and to spark curiosity in science and different perceptions of reality. Here is a sneak peak of what you can enjoy in the Ames Room.
Ames Room
Caption: Sinda van Pletsen, and Jason Pietersen in the Aimes Room at Gateway Theatre of Shopping
Possibly the most famous optical illusion was researched by clever ophthalmologist Adelbert Ames Jr back in 1934. Ames played with perspective to create his famous Ames Room which uses unexpected distortions in construction to mislead our minds’ strongly-held assumptions. The basis for Ames’ theory is that our minds are so accustomed to rectangles with 90-degree corners, that even when shapes are different – trapezoids, for example – we perceive them to be squares or rectangles. So a longer edge is perceived to be closer than a shorter one which ‘we assume to be further away. Similarly, our eyes follow lines ‘into the distance’ as we assume walls, floors and ceilings recede. And if they’re straight, we assume that they remain the same distance from our viewing position. The power of the Ames illusion lies in the angle from which the room is viewed. So it’s critical to stand in the right place to trick your mind and not uncover the conflicting visual cues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJhyu6nlGt8 (Scientific American on YT)
