There’s a new piece of artwork in Durango, but it’s not visible to the naked eye.
Durango resident Steve Schacht created a “hologram” that stands in front of the new Town Plaza mural on the back of Kroegers Ace Hardware. To access the hologram, one needs to be standing in front of the mural and go to durangoholograms.com with a smartphone.
The image, as viewed through a smartphone, depicts a white light beginning in the word “unity” in the physical mural, that then connects to a prism. From the prism, the light is turned into the colors of the Progress Pride Flag, which then lead to the Progress Pride Flag standing in front of the mural.
The hologram is titled “The Physics of Diversity” in the lower right-hand corner. Schacht chose the design because it symbolically shows “unity in diversity.”
Schacht was inspired to create the digital image after attending a community listening session hosted by the city of Durango’s Community Relations Committee. According to the committee’s website, the goal of the listening session was to “gather community input, stories and reflections with topics that are focused on diversity and discrimination.”
The listening session, and the stories of the participants, had a large impact on Schacht.
“After hearing some of the stories and the plight of the minority groups in town, I was compelled to create something that had a twofold purpose: to raise awareness in the community, and, secondly, as an expression of solidarity with the minority groups in town,” Schacht said.
Schacht was biking home after the meeting, and while riding by the Town Plaza mural, he noticed the word “unity” in the artistic swirls of the Animas River that run the length of the mural.
“That’s what triggered the idea,” he said.
The way participants of the listening session skillfully articulated the hardships they face as members of minority groups in Durango was important for him to hear, because “as a hetero, white dude, I just was not really aware” of their experiences in Durango, he said.
“The Physics of Diversity” is the only hologram on the website right now, but Schacht said he is at work on another one.
smarvin@durangoherald.com
