CINCINNATI — BLINK, one of the largest immersive light and art events, is making its way back to Cincinnati after nearly three years off during the pandemic. Officials expect this year to be bigger and better than before.

What You Need To Know

  • BLINK is returning back to Cincinnati after a three-year hiatus because of the pandemic

  • It's one the nation's largest immersive art, light and project mapping events

  • The Black Box installation at 21 C Museum in Cincinnati is one of dozens art pieces that will be displayed during BLINK 2022

  • Black Box, which was created by Cincinnati artist Michael Coppage, is aimed at demystifying Black men and creating authentic experiences

Michael Coppage is an internationally known artist with more than 20 years of experience, and making art is something he’s been doing since he was child.

“I did things that occupied my time and found things that I thought were challenging, things that I was interested in,” said Coppage. “And it kind of just turned into a career.”

Recently, he's been working on a piece that will be displayed in the Chateau Coppage exhibit at the Westin Gallery in September. 

“I’m essentially mimicking a luxury brand and making a social commentary about luxury brands and their relationship to Black people,” he said. 

Capturing the Black experience is something he’s also done through one of his latest pieces called the Black Box. It’s aimed at demystifying Black men and creating authentic experiences. Viewers can learn more about the men displayed by scanning on the the QR code. 

“They all kind of counteract the negative implications of the Black word that they have on their chest,” he said. 

Black Box is just one of many art pieces visitors can check out during BLINK 2022. They’re all created by Cincinnati-area and international artists. Before the pandemic, every year, BLINK attracted more than a million people to the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky area. 

“I’m just really excited and really ready to take on the challenge of representing the home team and really knocking something out of the park and hopefully having a fan favorite,” he said. 

You can check out the black box and other art pieces during BLINK from Oct. 13-16. For more information about the event, click here.