The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. opened the doors to its seventh annual Summer Block Party installation, LOOK HERE by Suchi Reddy. The new installation announced last month focuses on activism.

The Summer Block Party consists of the main installation, along with several forms of events that accompany it, such as workshops, performances, and more. Past installations have included displays like a series of staged interactive lawn murals outside the museum by Lisa Marie in Thalhammer’s Equilateral Network in 2021 and an indoor artificial green space with hammocks in Rockwell Group’s Lawn in 2019.

This year’s installation designed by Suchi Reddy, the founder and principal architect of Reddymade Architecture & Design in New York, is entitled LOOK HERE. The installation which fills the classically designed main hall of the museum, focuses on the rich history of activism in Washington, D.C. Reddy is known for her large-scale works that stem from her research in neuroscience and design.

“My mantra is form follows feeling,” Reddy said in a press release, “I believe that architecture, environments, and experiences play an essential role in shaping an understanding of ourselves as humans with agency, equity, and empathy.”

The installation itself consists of hanging fractals made into “fortune teller” shapes containing a variety of images from protests, marches, and other activist events from D.C.’s history, and juxtaposes them with reflective surfaces. Placed above a ramp that culminates in a seating area at the center of the room, the reflections distort the viewer and the built elements around them, creating a place of contemplation during the day, while the distorted lights resemble a disco at night.

The display forces the viewer to confront themselves and their place within these events as they move along the ramp and look into the fractals. They are encouraged to examine their own political ideas and beliefs within the context of Washington, D.C., a city that embodies principles of democracy.

“As visitors experience the images of activism in LOOK HERE, it’s my hope that they will see themselves in the reflective surfaces, as part of these important moments in our history, ” added Reddy in a press release.

Reddy’s LOOK HERE will be on display now through September 4. Information about other Summer Block Party programming can be found here.