CREATIVE DIRECTION // ART CURATION // ART DIRECTION // AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION // IMMERSIVE ART SCULPTURE

2025 Theme: The Radiant Veil: Dance of Light and Shadow

Spirit Lake awakened in luminous juxtaposition beyond the veil, where the seen and unseen entangle. Light and shadow waltzed in an infinite embrace, guiding travelers through a dreamscape where reality flickered, and myth manifested. 

The Radiant Veil lifted this year, inviting seekers to dance in the liminal glow, where fractal glimmers and liquid silhouettes rippled through the trees. Here, contrast is Source; shadows cast stories onto sacred ground, as a phosphorescent masquerade of light-bearers and shadow-weavers beckoned, urging all who entered to embrace the paradox.

We entered The Radiant Veil—where the dance of light and shadow will always be unfolding.

The Veil was lifted in four chapters, one per night. The overarching story: Light > Shadow > Paradox > Harmony

THURSDAY 10.30 // FROM LIGHT

Stars don’t create light; they are made of it… like all else in the Universe. First came the Light, from it we emerge in all of our shimmering glory. 

FRIDAY 10.31 // INTO SHADOW

When we block the light, we are cast into Shadow, casting darkness under the cover of night. The luminous void speaks through silence. 

SATURDAY 11.1 // THE RADIANT VEIL

The great paradox descends upon us; a discordant blend where the line between Light and Shadow blurs unrecognized. 

SUNDAY 11.2 // THE DANCE OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

The final goal is the dance, the harmony, the slow Flow of the fast tango, founded in the One pulsing beat at the heart of it all. 

JB + RÜTS GUIDED TOUR OF SPIRIT LAKE 2025

THE ORACLE OF SPIRIT LAKE

The Oracle was the first-ever “AI Halloween Costume,” a deeply human, interactive technology piece created by Justin Bolognino as a social commentary on the cultural confusion around Artificial Intelligence.

Inspired by Young & Sick’s incredible “eyeball” official art for Spirit Lake, the Oracle was brought to life as a holographic, all-knowing entity hovering over the lake. The Oracle attendant, costumed as a 2070’s flight attendant, gave out “One Question” tickets that enabled guests to approach the booth and ask one question of the Oracle in real time.

Spoofing AI, the Oracle would respond with a heavily-effected voice, answering with a mix of philosophy, spiritualism, and utter absurdity. The Oracle was developed as a four-part story, aligned with the four-chapter narrative of the Radiant Veil theme. Like AI, the Oracle was initially supportive and sycophantic to its guests on the first night, answering with more earnestness. However, each night, the Oracle became progressively more confusing, irrelevant, and could even bite back with anger and hostility.

By the last Oracle show, on Saturday at 2:15 a.m., the Oracle had entirely gone off the rails, mainly relying on effects, delays, feedback loops, and full meltdowns as answers. Somewhere between HAL and the Wizard of Oz, the Oracle played to both sides of the cultural divide on AI as it lost its mind over time. By Sunday, the Oracle fully melted down and disintegrated with one last answer, based on the true Nature of Reality as “One Love.” And then, it was gone…

The goal was for the audience to think the Oracle was an AI machine, and in fact, it was AI: Actual Intelligence. Artistic Intelligence. Antagonistic Intelligence. Just no “Artificial.”

The truth behind the veil of the Oracle was that it was Justin Bolognino, speaking in real-time, through an array of analog guitar effects pedals. The answers were a mixture of live improvisation and readings from his favorite books, including the Tao Te Ching, works by David R. Hawkins, Ken Wilber, Timothy Leary, and Terrance McKenna.

CLICK HERE A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE ORACLE

LAKE SHOW AUDIOVISUAL SPECTACLE

The Lake Show AV spectacle featured three different hour-long shows, each themed to the Radiant Veil show. Justin Bolognino curated 10 different visual artists, each providing content that would then be edited musically to each audio mix. Add lighting and laser design to the mix, and the final results are unlike anything else on earth.

Watch the complete mixes on Vimeo.

Featured visual artists:
@a__gilmore, @_brandoneversole, @justtrip.it, @l1ghtbrush, @nibera_visuals, @florigenix_ai, @nickjaykdesign, @raul.visuals, @thisreo, @uon.visuals, @tanyamiai

Lighting design by HELM PRODUCTIONS Justin Casey and Joe Donnelly.

Water Screen by THE ELECTRIC DREAM MACHINE aka Jasper Mosher.

FIDDLEHEAD

Fiddlehead is a new Spirit Lake piece designed for the official collection at Hulaween. Conceived of and Creative Cirected by Justin Bolognino, with design by Rüts and fabricated by Hoodie Salinas + Team, Fiddlehead stood proudly at the entry to Spirit Lake. The massive new structure featured a hidden entry where guests could share some intimate space together, and lit up at night thanks to project mapping and design by Jasper Masher and the Electric Dream Machine.

SPIDER EGGS

The legendary Thomas Dambo “Spider” installation is getting old, but a miracle unfolded this year as our beloved old Spider laid eggs. Each night, the eggs slowly went from subtle cracking, to inner glow, to psychedelic madness Saturday night when the baby spiders broke free of their shells. What will next year bring?

CURATED ART

A very incomplete sneak peek at highlights from the Spirit Lake art curated by Justin Bolognino. Lots more to come!