This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
One of the coolest things you can do at the Utah Arts Festival is also strangely calming.
The Leonardo has set up a pair of interactive exhibits outside the museum (in the building that used to house the Salt Lake City Public Library, south of the new library building on Library Square) that cross the line between technology and art.
One is Trent Alvey's "Synchronicity," in which metronomes on saucers float on water — a working demonstration of waves interacting with each other. Think of it as a zen garden in water instead of sand.
The other is a "digital graffiti" display, in which people can create their own scrolling designs on a touch screen. One finger creates a line. Two fingers creates a series of circles or crosses or other shapes of various sizes (depending on how far apart your fingers are). Three fingers creates an array of diamonds or other shapes. Four fingers makes giant geometric clouds.
It's a chance to do your own tagging — or just bliss out on the psychedelic array of shapes.