IGNITE Broward Returns - Free, Family-Friendly Festival Will Light Up Broward County

With over 80,000 visitors attending last year, the festival has become a major cultural draw. It includes immersive large-scale projection mapping, interactive light sculptures and installations, sound-based experiences, musical performances and family-friendly programming by local, national and international artists. In addition, this year will feature a showcase of young emerging local artists from MAD Art & Tech Studio Program, who will debut their work at IGNITE Broward.

For a list of participating artists, visit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lFkelmrWVltDO4p_QvS-DZs50Y9hv-tiVYyLMK0lpR4/edit?tab=t.0

Notable participants include the Italian new-media art collective Onda Studio, known for immersive, technology-driven experiences that blend art, light and interaction. Their practice explores connections between people, space and technology. Powered by leading no-contract wireless carrier Total Wireless, the installation, “Where are we Going?,” relies on 5G technology, enabling instant participation via a QR code.

Also participating is Ana Maria Caballero, a multi-award-winning transdisciplinary artist whose work examines the tension between physicality and selfhood, as well as the relationship between biological processes and their cultural implications.

One of last year’s most celebrated artists, Daniel Popper, is returning to IGNITE Broward to present his new work, “Mycelia.” This large-scale figure, crafted in wood and fiberglass, uses projection mapping to illuminate the intrinsic world of fungus and blend elements of nature and humanity.

This year’s program will also feature inflatable light sculptures—a new addition to IGNITE Broward—by the renowned national collective Pneuhaus, as well as experimental Super 8 video screenings by artist Phil Evans and the Barcelona-based film collective Dostoopos.

IGNITE Broward is presented by the Broward County Cultural Division and produced by MAD Arts, with additional support provided by Visit Lauderdale, City of Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Broward County Parks and Recreation and City of Dania Beach. The festival is free and open to the public, continuing its mission of making art accessible for all.

Participating locations include:

MAD Arts

Address: 481 South Federal Highway, Dania Beach, Florida 33004

Hours: Daily from 12:00 p.m. Noon to 10:00 p.m.

MAD Arts, an art and technology museum that immerses audiences in high- and low-tech experiences, will showcase more than 13 new pieces of art and host artist-led events and workshops. Key highlights include:

•“Oh Lord!” by Guillaume Marmin - A data-driven work using solar observation research to examine humanity’s evolving relationship with the sun as a cosmic guide, political symbol and source of fear and hope.

• “A Walled City” by Dr. Weidi Zhang and Dr. Jieliang (Rodger) Luo - An interactive installation transforming participant-submitted images into an evolving virtual city inspired by Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City.

• “Wayfarer 3.0” by Dr. Weidi Zhang - An AI-driven installation reimagining the mythical Tiangou through shifting celestial scenes, tracing its evolution from wandering star to moon-devouring force.

• “Face The Raster V2” by Homegrown Visuals and Akomi - An audiovisual installation where guest likenesses are captured and transformed in real time through oscilloscopes, soundscapes and analog-digital experimentation.

• “Sugar Coated” by Samantha Salzinger - A candy-colored, hand-built fantasy world that reveals fractures beneath its sweetness, examining excess, decay and the addictive nature of manufactured pleasure.

• “Body and Technology” by Performance in Flux - A program of live performances and video works exploring how contemporary bodies interact with sound, light, machines and media.

• “In Search of Light 2” by Miguel Gonzalez - An immersive VR and laser-based installation tracing humanity’s evolving philosophical, spiritual and technological relationship with light.

• “Pace” by Ana Maria Caballero - An audiovisual work blending dance, AI-generated environments and performative poetry to propose that private joy and deeper self-connection can be catalysts for systemic transformation.

• “To Catch a Ghost” by Darius V. Daughtry - A poetic multimedia experience composed of three poem videos and a site-specific installation created in collaboration with MAD Arts.

• “Last Human” by The Last Human Collective - An immersive participatory experience exploring identity, authorship and deception within a decaying digital landscape shaped by bots, deepfakes and algorithmic identity.

• “VJYOURSELF!” by Playmodes - An interactive dance installation, a contemporary magic mirror where participants dance with repeated, time-shifted versions of themselves through real-time effects.

• Artist Studio Program Presentation in MAD Yard- This presentation features works from local artists—Liv Cook, Mark Espinoza, Richard Vergez, Alejandra Abad, Corina Lipavsky, Astrid Maldonado and Claudine Julien—participating in MAD Art & Tech Studio Program, a mentorship program that connects aspiring creators with established global artists. The artists will showcase their projection-mapping works developed over a six-month curriculum with mentors Jaime Reyes, Peter Burr and Amir B. Jahanbinir.

• Series of Films by Dostoopos - A looping selection of experimental films, presented in the Cine Lounge at MAD Arts, that explores image plasticity, movement and sound through found footage, animated collage, negative manipulation and Super 8 film.

• “Super Zone” by Phil Evans - A 10-minute Super 8 cine video loop animation showcasing analog texture and handcrafted spontaneity, presented in the Cine Lounge at MAD Arts and accompanied by a Super 8 animation workshop.

Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park

Address: 2520 Northwest Sixth Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311

Hours: Friday and Saturday from 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.; Sunday through Thursday from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Experience six spectacular installations throughout Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park, a 36-acre neighborhood space shared with Fort Lauderdale’s African-American Research Library and Cultural Center. The park’s dramatic lake fountain, basketball court and surrounding grounds become the backdrop for new, engaging works, including:

• “Mycelia” by Daniel Popper - A sculpture inspired by fungal networks, symbolizing interconnection, shared consciousness and the cyclical relationship between humans and nature.

• “Grove” by Pneuhaus - An immersive sculptural environment of illuminated columns branching overhead, inspired by underground root systems and the exchange of energy between trees.

• “APOGEE” by Chalk River Labs - A projection-mapped, synthwave-infused installation transforming simple structures into a dreamy, interactive cosmic playground.

• “Echoes of sys|calls” by Jaime Reyes and Erik Natanael - A large-scale audiovisual installation translating computational rhythms into a sensory landscape shaped by visitor movement.

• “I Was Here Nationwide Broward County” by I Was Here - An outdoor installation combining archival imagery, audio and community storytelling to transform public spaces into sites of remembrance.

• “Up-Next” by Oliver Lewis - An interactive sculpture resembling a 1980s TV set. Twenty-eight kaleidoscopes comprise the television screen, producing unique geometric animations.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

Address: 100 Terminal Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33315

Hours: Open 24/7 (access varies per installation - see details below)

At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), pre-security artworks are accessible 24/7, while post-security installations are available to ticketed passengers only and close when TSA checkpoints shut down. Featured installations include:

• Prototypes of “AEONIUM” and “Mycelia” by Daniel Popper - Located by Terminal 1, Arrivals Level (Baggage Claim Area), pre-security.

• Original prototypes developed by the artist as the foundational studies for his large-scale installations. “Mycelia” can be experienced at a monumental scale at Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park as part of IGNITE.

• “Interactive ZipOdes Map” by O, Miami - Located by Terminal 2, Arrivals Level (Baggage Claim Area), pre-security.

• A public interface inviting audiences to explore South Florida through hyperlocal community-written poems generated from their own zip codes.

• “PCC-3333: Will robots dream of World Peace?” by Brian Fox / Media Pollution - Located by Terminal 3-4 Connector, Departures Level, post-security.

• A robotic work that explores the relationship between art, science and human connection constructed entirely from recycled and orphaned materials.

• “Quantum Jungle” by Robin Baumgarten - Located by Terminal 3, Departures Level, post-security.

• An interactive installation using touch-sensitive springs and LEDs to playfully visualize quantum physics concepts, sparking curiosity in children and adults alike.

ArtsPark at Young Circle in Hollywood

Address: 1 North Young Circle, Hollywood, Florida 33022

Hours: Friday and Saturday from 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.; Sunday through Thursday from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Through the City of Hollywood’s public art initiative, IGNITE Broward introduces an immersive art circuit to ArtsPark at Young Circle, showcasing the city’s vibrant cultural and community landscape. The city presents seven installations, including:

• “Geist” by Loop - An interactive installation using mirrors, LEDs and viewer movement to create a floating, shifting sphere of light activated through human presence.

• “Aqua Olimpia” by Artur Grycuk - An immersive installation that simulates an underwater world through light, sound and interactive elements that ripple with visitor movement.

• “Balloomi” by Artur Grycuk - A glowing pyramid of illuminated balloons forming a minimalist space for quiet gathering, reflection and shared wonder.

• “Where are we Going?” by Onda Studio - An interactive web-based audiovisual work prompting reflection on collective direction and the influence of technology on human behavior.

• “Helix Seats” by Pneuhaus - An interactive public seating installation featuring intertwined, pressure-responsive helices that illuminate with movement and invite communal engagement.

• “Ascendance” by Studio McGuire - A projection-based journey following an astronaut adrift in a dreamlike cosmos, reflecting on fragility, isolation and impermanence.

• “Sea of Light” by ITHACA Studio - A responsive installation of thousands of animated lights that transform landscapes into immersive environments shaped by site and audience interaction.

List of Special Events

• Indoor Media Preview

• Date: Wednesday, February 11th, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

• Location: MAD Arts, 481 South Federal Highway, Dania Beach, Florida 33004

• IGNITE Broward Kickoff Event

• Date: Friday, February 13th, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.

• Location: African-American Research Library and Cultural Center, 2650 Sistrunk Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311

• As part of the evening’s festivities, a live performance by BREAKINMIA will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park, located at 2520 Northwest Sixth Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311.

For a full list of events and festival information, visit: www.IGNITEbroward.com - And follow: @browardarts.

About Broward Cultural Division

The Broward County Cultural Division invests in and advances the arts and cultural sector across Broward County. The Division provides grants to cultural organizations and artists, manages the County's Public Art & Design Program and supports the growth of the creative economy through community engagement, capacity-building and special projects. By nurturing local talent and fueling Broward's creative infrastructure, the Division enhances the County's cultural environment and economic vitality. For more information, visit: @BrowardArts on Instagram or Facebook.

About MAD Arts

Located in Dania Beach, just north of Miami and south of Fort Lauderdale, MAD Arts is an art and technology museum that explores new models of culture and business, immersing audiences in high- and low-tech experiences by local, national and international artists. The 50,000-square-foot museum was founded in 2020 by MAD, a full-service digital, marketing, advertising and technology hub with virtual reality and motion capture studios and manufacturing facilities, with the mission of helping artists, creatives and technologists launch their ideas and create experiences that may have otherwise been out of reach. For more information on exhibitions, programs and events, visit: https://www.yeswearemadarts.com/ - Or: @madarts_space on Instagram.

About Visit Lauderdale

Visit Lauderdale is the official destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale and serves as the tourism department for Broward County, Florida. Visit Lauderdale promotes the area’s 31 municipalities to a global audience of leisure and business travelers as the ideal place for Everyone Under the Sun in recognition of the area’s diverse and welcoming vibe, and books conventions into the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and area hotels and resorts. Find more information at visitlauderdale.com and follow: @VisitLauderdale on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.