Visual artist Meg Saligman announced Thursday that the Ministry of Awe will open March 14 in the Manufacturer’s National Bank in Old City, featuring six stories of immersive artwork from over 100 local creatives that center around overarching themes of banking, currency and value.
The Ministry of Awe won’t be your average art exhibit, nor should it even be considered a collection of separate works. It is, rather, one living, breathing cultural landmark that aims to promote connection, mystery and hold a mirror up to those who dare to enter, Saligman said.
The experience for guests will center around a plot straight out of a fever dream: a coalition of local artists called the Ministry of Awe is out to hijack a historic bank to pose one simple question to its visitors: What do you truly value?
Each corner of the 8,500 square foot space will have a particular theme, usually one that makes a tongue-in-cheek reference to the site’s history as a bank. There are rooms dedicated to loan forgiveness, security offices and deposit stations that will feature everything from sculptures, murals and performance art to AI-powered interactive displays.
“Part of the excitement is that it will continue to be an evolving and generative work of art,” Saligman said. “I like to see that the work of art itself will be impacted by visionaries, visitors and wild ideas. … We like to think of it as a space that will bring people together and continue to evolve into the future.”
Molly McVety/PhillyVoice
The Manufacturer’s National Bank in Old City is transforming into the Ministry of Awe.
Ministry of Awe certainly promises to be one-of-a-kind, if nothing else. Saligman said guests will be greeted by 12-foot tall AI-generated bank tellers that will try to sniff them. Petty thieves may also try to steal from people’s pockets or recruit others to rob the bank’s vault (one that stores fears instead of cash,) all in the interest of telling a story about the intrinsic value of humanity.
“If you think about banking, money is fiction. … It’s not backed by gold, it’s just something that we all trust and trade in,” Saligman said. “So, couldn’t we make it whatever we want? Hopefully there’s some crossover between fiction and truth here.”
Saligman, 60, is the creative force behind over 40 public artworks around the world, including some of the largest murals in Philadelphia like Spring Garden’s “Common Threads” and Center City’s “Philadelphia Muses.” But, for this project — which has been in the works since 2015 — Saligman has gone method, fully committing to the ambiguous and campy role as the “Ministrix of Awe.”
“[Ministry of Awe] feels like stepping into an alternate reality of sorts, but I’m trying to make it my reality,” she said. “Some of the truest things are found in fiction.”
Molly McVety/PhillyVoice
One of the murals that adorn the six-story Ministry of Awe, an immersive art exhibition that will open in Old City on March 14.
As eccentric as the project is, it’s clearly rooted in something genuine for the Ministrix, who aims to use the “hijacking” of the building as a platform for upcoming generations of local artists.
“This is a very large group of artists who love each other, who love working together and who really want to share it with as many people as we can,” she said. “We all feel like there’s something here that will catalyze. … We also want to leverage tourism dollars into our local arts community so that we can make a small dent in the way artists sustain themselves.”
Starting March 14, the building at 27. N. 3rd St. will be open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays. Tickets for certain time slots will be available starting in January and pop-up workshops will be available for members of the public to assist in setting up the building on Tuesdays and Fridays until its opening date.