The bubblegum-colored entrances into New Frontier at the Sundance Film Festival are an ebullient veneer to the cutting-edge technology within, featuring some of the leading multi-media artists on the planet. “Surprising,” “unfamiliar,” even “transcendent,” are words chief curator, Shari Frilot, uses to describe the many exhibits. New Frontier is all of that—and more.

This year, New Frontier has a social element as well as the tech-induced wow factor. People are encouraged to gather and interact, on and off the installations. Furnished areas invite relaxation and conversation, and staff help navigate the still-a-little-cumbersome technology at every turn. If you’re lucky, one of the artist-collaborators will be present to describe their artistic process.

 My recommendation is to read about New Frontier before you go. Given the sheer number of installations, it’s difficult to do everything. Choose a couple that sound good, and dive in. At The Ray, don’t miss “Still Here,” an unexpectedly moving, immersive, multimedia installation, where you can explore incarceration and gentrification through the eyes of a woman returning to Harlem after 15 years in prison. Also, be sure to check out the VR exhibit, “Breath,” at New Frontier Central.

New Frontier at Sundance runs through this Saturday, February 1. Festival credential holders can visit New Frontier Central (next to Walgreens, 950 Iron Horse Dr.), and the public is welcome to purchase tickets for a time slot at New Frontier at The Ray (1768 Park Ave.). For tickets: sundance.org/tickets.  Visit sundance.org for more details.