The Whale, a large-scale art installation conceived by Jeff Haase, associate professor in the Department of Design, was built in a Kinnear Road warehouse and is now featured at the Cultural Arts Center in downtown Columbus as part of the exhibit The Whiteness of the Whale, along with art pieces and performances by eight other artists. All of the works have been inspired by Melville’s historic novel, the color white and of course Moby. The exhibition opens Dec. 4 and continues until Jan. 9. An opening reception is Dec. 4, 6-8 p.m.
 
Haase intends for his piece to “consume” a portion of the gallery. He cut strategic, large holes into 60 sheets of giant paper (9 feet wide by 12 feet high) and has hang these sheets in the gallery. The aggregate of the holes creates the exact, full-size shape of a large male sperm whale. Visitors will be able to walk “inside the whale,” through the holes, and hear the famous novel being read to them through speakers hidden in the installation. Haase wanted to create the effect of being “inside the pages of a giant book” as visitors walk through his Moby Dick room, bringing the book to life in a truly novel way.

By Tatiana Tomley, ASC Communications student