Tech-Art Organization dadaLab Reboots in New Eastside Studio

Forced to leave their Real Street location to make way for an apartment development, dadaLab co-founders Barna Kantor and Kyle Evans secured another lease less than a week before their move.

The immersive art studio’s new home sits just around the corner, at 2008 Alexander Ave. To celebrate their successful transition, the tech-art organization presents RE:BOOT, an opening exhibition in their 10,000-square-foot site, this Saturday, July 15 at 7:30pm. Making full use of upgrades including an ultrawide projection wall and a quadraphonic sound system, the event features immersive art installations, live electronic music, and real-time audiovisual performances, all curated by Evans.

Find the full lineup, including Brainwavve, Mothr, and Inflatable Robot, and tickets on sale for $5. RE:BOOT encapsulates the dual core of dadaLab: a studio for experimentation and a community of artists harnessing coding and modern technologies for art.

dadaLab 2.0, naturally, includes a long-desired lab space for developing artworks and two loading docks outside the building, easing the transportation of projects. Acknowledging that they’re just one of many arts organizations that recently lost their offices, the duo also takes pride in sharing their new, bigger home with Interactive Nature, Fusebox Festival, and Art Island, among other orgs and individual artists.

“We want to focus on our core people that we want in here and actually collaborate with these folks,” says Evans, noting their shift from a co-working concept in their previous location, which also hosted an architecture firm. “We don’t want to leave all these incredible organizations without appropriate and good space for them to utilize.”

Alongside studio arm dadaLab, Kantor and Evans form the common thread through involvement in three other arts organizations. They also work closely together in dadageek, a nonprofit tech-art school and community; Rolling Ryot, the collective behind memorable performances like Dumpster Fire and Ghost Line X; and Bee Cave BuzzFest, a music, tech, and art festival.

“Most of the things that we work on deal with spatial audio or music in some way,” says Evans. “It’s always injected, because sonic experiences are so important in this city.”

Kantor adds: “One of our missions is to bring in new voices and support the up-and-coming experimental works that could change this city again. There’s a robust underground music scene in Austin, still, that absolutely needs to be fostered.”

As they complete their move, the co-founders have begun brainstorming ways to utilize their new site. Already in the works? An artist residency and an immersive code-based light art experience for Christmas.

Yet, the uphill battle isn’t over for Kantor and Evans. Given their artistic interest in the interaction between physical and digital elements, they repeatedly stress their goal of eventually owning their own building.

“In San Francisco, galleries and art spaces owned not by developers, but by the people who actually use the space, are abundant. Therefore, San Francisco has a very strong urban culture,” says Kantor. “In Austin, we are starting from scratch every single time.

“The only way to rebuild Austin’s art scene is through ownership. You have to be part of the system. Otherwise, the system will always take advantage of you and kick you out when they no longer need you.”

As the duo walked me through their almost empty former location last week, they pointed out in pity that a mural painted by Peelander-Yellow (of Austin punk rockers Peelander-Z) last year will be torn down in the development. Among the last things to move to dadaLab 2.0? A family of five cats that lives under the old, brutalist building.

As for the new space, a signature multihued mural by Austin-based artist Josef Kristofoletti will soon adorn its exterior.

“The art scene in Austin is still finding itself, and as a result, it’s very eclectic,” says Evans. “People are exploring so many different areas, and eventually, it’s going to form into a larger idea, into a larger culture.”

“And we would like to be there, to contribute to that,” adds Kantor. “We would like to create an entity that takes the name of Austin to other cities with the high quality work that dadaLab is capable of doing.”