On the Roof Decks of Philly

Who wants to be stuck paying for wine in a white cube these days? The streets are where it’s at, or at least where LURE (Lighting for Urban Rooftop Environments) lurks. Brainchild of artists Aaron Igler and Nadia Hironaka, LURE has crawled out of the underground after two years of showing only at parties and galleries. On Saturday, LURE supplies all the A/V action South Philly can handle. Francien Van Everdingen’s Super-8 "landscape" is a cucumber rolling over against a blue background, and Davickolandé molds the aural backdrop. The show also includes work from Nick Muellner.

LURE provides public access to previously invite-only art happenings. Its video projection, flickering across surrounding building facades, will be visible to all from Carpenter Street. The collective’s showings gather everybody together, not just art insiders, and entice them to party as long as they like. The project grew out of Igler’s and Hironaka’s experiences in Hamburg, where "day parties," thrown in rented-out storefronts or commercial properties, offered novelty and flexibility, two elements essential to a thriving art scene. In Philly, this breath of urban night air is long past due.

—Nikki Roszko

LURE, Sat., March 23, 9-11 p.m., 931 Carpenter St., 215-922-2410, lure.kingbig.org.