Los Angeles Wire | Culture & Arts

By: Ryan Sterling

Neonika, an immersive neon experience opening in Downtown Los Angeles, debuts to the public on May 15.

After a private VIP preview earlier, the venue is now opening to the general public. Visitors can explore seven distinct neon worlds tucked into the heart of Downtown Los Angeles at 677 Imperial Street.

The Vision That Started It All

Neonika is based on the creative vision of Veronika Plieshkova, an immersive-experience designer working at the intersection of light, space, and emotion.

Her previous work includes projects such as Palace of Impressions and Euphoria, large-scale sensory environments where visual art, lighting, and audience interaction come together as one cohesive experience.

With Neonika, that creative language has evolved into something new.

The project was adapted for Los Angeles by a local team, transforming the original concept into seven distinct neon worlds designed specifically for the city’s rhythm, audience, and visual culture.

“For me, Neonika is about emotion, light, and the way people feel inside a space,” Plieshkova said.

“I’m very happy that this idea is now coming to life in Los Angeles. It feels like the right city for this kind of experience, and I hope people don’t just take photos, but actually feel something when they walk through it.”

Seven Worlds, One Hour

The full experience runs about 60 minutes, and each of the seven rooms is its own universe. Here is what visitors can expect:

World 1: Overload. Wires, metal, neon, and tangled chrome figures that are almost robots, almost human. Did they get stuck here, or did they stay by choice? This is a world built too fast, and somewhere along the way, it lost its direction. It is an arresting way to begin.

World 2: Reflection. Mirrored walls and floors catch you from every angle. Garlands of light scatter fragments of images around you, like the world’s memory shattered into pixels. The music is loud and asks nothing of you except to move. You’re not thinking yet. You’re just enjoying it.

World 3: Resonance. Touch a pillar and music appears, but there is no source, no performer, no instrument. Ice-like columns display images that are cold but strangely beautiful. This is a room where emotions are triggered by touch, art needs no artist, and the human is no longer the creator but the switch. If music plays without a musician, who does it belong to?

World 4: Synthesis. Grass that doesn’t grow, it glows. Everything looks like life, yet nothing is alive. It is one of those spaces that makes you want to stay forever and leave immediately at the same time. Somehow, both feelings make complete sense.

World 5: Sleep. This one hits differently. You can lie down. You don’t have to be an adult in here. The room wraps around you, tries to soothe you, sings you a quiet neon lullaby. The question it leaves you with is a simple one: will you wake up?

World 6: Filling. You sink into a sea of glowing balls. Light, movement, reflections, and projections hit you from every direction at once. Maximum stimulus, minimum meaning. If there are too many emotions, they stop being emotions. This is the room that leaves the strongest impression.

World 7: Shell. The future has learned to be gentle here. It creates comfort, it allows play. But you can feel it is a display case. Everything is soft and perfectly arranged and just slightly off. The question the room asks you quietly on your way out: Are you real here?

Who Is This For?

Neonika was built for adults, kids, couples on date nights, families on a weekend, and friends who want something that isn’t another rooftop bar. Photos and videos are fully encouraged.

Early bird tickets start at $24, with general admission at $29. The venue recommends booking in advance.

May 15. 677 Imperial Street. Downtown Los Angeles.

Tickets and additional information are available at neonikaus.com.