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"Wowser, Max... You did it. Somehow... I went from the Dark Room...to this gallery. I've been through so many realities in one week. Life is...weird."Max's comment in "Polarized"

The Zeitgeist Gallery is an explorable location that appears in "Polarized", in the alternative timeline where Mark Jefferson is caught and arrested and Max Caulfield wins the Everyday Heroes Contest. It has several sections and interactive objects and patrons.

Episode Five - "Polarized"[]

After having a nosebleed in the plane, Max finds herself inside the gallery along with Principal Wells. They talk about San Francisco and the gallery's size. Principal Wells urges Max to talk to the many influential people there in order to advance her photography career. He then moves to the second floor and starts to eat caviar.

Max may walk around the gallery and talk to several people who will be praising her photo and the technique with which it was taken. After looking at the photo, Max will have a nosebleed and a brief vision of the tornado, with Chloe Price calling for help in the background. Max rushes to the lower level of the gallery and calls Chloe after seeing 6 missed calls on her phone. It is revealed that the Storm is still coming towards Arcadia Bay. Determined to save Chloe, Max focuses on the picture and gets transported to her room in the Blackwell dormitories.

Environment[]

The gallery is divided into a lobby, a bathroom, a staff-only room, a ground-floor exhibit room, a lower-floor exhibit room, and an upper-floor exhibit room. The Zeitgeist Gallery is located on a busy street corner of San Francisco, California. On the right-hand side of every exhibit is a small card or paper giving information about the piece. (This information is not viewable by the player and is purely for aesthetic.)

Lobby[]

The lobby has a staff-only room and a bathroom on either side of the entrance. There is a reception desk to the right of the door upon entrance, where Max can view several art books, donate to the gallery, and speak to the receptionist. On the other side of the room, there are two chairs and a table with leaflets, fliers, and a newspaper placed non-descriptively. Max can interact with all of them save the leaflet underneath one of the chairs.

Ground-Floor Exhibit Room[]

On the left wall of the ground-floor exhibit room, the winners of the Everyday Heroes Photo Contest are listed. Max's name is listed fifth on the first row. Next to this, there is a blurb talking about the gallery's involvement in the contest and giving information to Max and other patrons of the gallery. The header of this wall reads "EVERYDAY HEROES". On the other side of the wall, there are several photos on display that are part of the Everyday Heroes exhibit. Four photos are on display, including one of Hawt Dawg Man. Neon art resembling a Jackalope is on the wall visible after making a turn past the chairs in the lobby, stretching to the ceiling. The lights are white and connected by black wires. The ground-floor exhibit room is connected to the lower-floor exhibit room by a doorway with few stairs leading to it, and connected to the upper-floor exhibit room by a small flight of stairs. The guestbook is located next to the entrance to the lower-floor exhibit room.

Lower-Floor Exhibit Room[]

Once Max walks down the short amount of stairs, she will reach the lower-floor exhibit room. This room is significantly smaller than the other parts of the gallery. In the exhibit room, three sections of the room are designated. The largest section has a display stand with three black metal humanoid statues in ethereal poses. Their faces and torso are detailed while the limbs are more minimalistic. These statues are a reminiscence of the "Ministry of silly walks"-sketch from Monty Python. Each statue is mounted on an irregularly shaped rectangle of the same material with green spots on it. This section also has three grid-like windows on the ceiling with etched glass. The other two sections display photographs. They both have low cushioned seats that take up the majority of the floor space of said sections. The photo on the left section is a couple with canes walking through a winter forest. There are six photos on display in the right section, three columns with two photos each. The first column has an elderly person playing a guitar on a street corner and a street artist drawing on pavement with people crowding around them. The second column has a hunter and their dog out in winter and the other photo is of two police officers. The third column has an adult comforting a child and a couple embracing with one of them in an armed forces uniform, presumably coming home from battle. All of the photos in this section are square.

Upper-Floor Exhibit Room[]

The upper-floor exhibit room is accessed by walking up the small flights of stairs on both sides of the ground floor. Other entries of the Everyday Heroes Contest are displayed here. Clusters of smaller photos are all square with two per column and three columns at most. This section of the gallery overlooks the ground floor. The buffet tables are on this floor on either side, and Principal Wells gladly takes part in eating the caviar so Max doesn't have to. The windows from the lower floor exhibit room ceiling peek into this room.

  • The first cluster of photos near the left staircase include a dog and baby cuddling as a large portrait-style image, and the cluster of smaller photos have two columns. They are a child and parent walking on a beach, a teacher with a book presumably reading to a class, two lab workers doing blood work, and a bald hospital patient.
  • The second cluster of photos (if the player continues to go straight) on the same wall is two landscape-style photos with one of a well-dressed person offering a helping hand or perhaps money to someone sitting condensed on the ground. The second one is of a nurse practitioner in a hospital room with a stethoscope around their neck.
  • The third cluster of photos is three columns of small square photos. The first column has a firefighter in a mask holding a cat and a pug that has no hind legs sleeping. The second column is a black astronaut and below it is a service dog with a person in a wheelchair. The third column has a colorful pride parade or gathering and a police officer and dog. This is the last cluster of photos on this wall.
  • The first cluster of photos on the right-hand side are both landscape and are of a hiker pictured on the very top of a mountain and a monochromatic photo of a person holding a camera to their eye.
  • The next cluster of photos is only one photo. It is a square monochromatic picture of two WLW kissing. This is the last photo on the wall before another wall sticks out, but the wall does continue.
  • On the other side of the wall facing the previous image, a landscape picture of a waitstaff member is carrying a very large tray of food and drinks. Judging by what is on the tray, they may work at a cafe or somewhere of the likes that serves many pastries and hot drinks. They are in a formal uniform with one of their sleeves rolled up and a cute little hat.
  • The continuation of the wall the previous one sticks out from has one portrait photo and two columns of small photos. The landscape photo is of a police officer with a riot shield and face shield. The first column of small photos has a child and a dog running on a hill away from the direction of the forest and a person in red walking on a beach. The second column of small photos has two service people walking away from the camera in turtle shell helmets and the second one is of a well-dressed person offering another person that is bundled up something that looks somewhat like food, but the photo is so low-res it's hard to tell. This is the last photo on this wall and is in a corner with another cluster of photos.
  • The next cluster of photos that shares a corner with the previous one has two portrait-style photos of people in uniform. The first is of two in marine uniforms holding a gun to their chests and the second is of three people in a line in cadet uniforms.
  • To the left of this is a cluster of two square photos, featuring Max's entry to the contest. The one next to hers is of a parent and child holding hands and walking through a dirty-looking alleyway. Max's entry is of herself facing her wall of photos in her dorm room, taken from behind.
  • The cluster of photos next to this is the final one on the wall and it shares a corner with the third cluster of photos on the wall adjacent to the left stairwell. It features one landscape and one portrait photo. The landscape photo is of a parent giving their child a piggy-back ride. The second is of a parent nursing a newborn baby.
  • In the upper left corner of the room there is a wall in the middle of the floor with photos on two sides of it. All of the photos on the wall are monochromatic. There is one on one side and three on the other, with the three being portrait and the one being square. The square is of a model with long hair sitting down, posing with their elbow on their knee. The other side has one photo of a fashionable blind person walking through a street with a cane, an EMT sitting in the back of an ambulance, and a turtle shell helmet with two dog tags under it.
  • The wall in the middle of the floor closest to the railing overlooking the ground floor has three photos on it that are all landscape. The first one is of a flight attendant outside of a plane. The second is of two well-dressed and happy elderly people. The third is a teen hitchhiker holding a sign that reads "ANYWHERE."
  • The other side of this wall has four photos. Two landscape and two portrait with the portrait photos as bookends. The first one is of a parent blue jay feeding its babies, the second is someone with an artificial arm holding a blue tube, the third is of a person with a cane walking through a graveyard, and the fourth is a child holding an injured bird in their hands.
  • A wall with photos on both sides juts out from the previous one. There is one large square photo on one side, two columns of smaller photos on the other as well as one portrait photo. The one square photo is of a firefighter fighting fire. The small square photos are of a Marine, a child clinging to or hugging their parent while both are smiling, a person sitting on a street corner with a large dog in their lap, and a funeral of someone in the armed forces with the American flag draped over their coffin. The portrait photo is of one person in a wheelchair being pushed by their peer.

Outside the Gallery[]

Outside of the gallery is viewed through the glass door near the entrance. There are cars parked along the street near the gallery and cars that pass by every couple of seconds. Across the street there are multiple storefronts and electric lines. Directly across the street from the gallery, there are graffiti or perhaps a sign for a store that reads "THiS iS WATER" with three fish in between the words "this is" and "water". Across the street there is also a parking sign. A street corner is also viewable, suggesting that the gallery is on a corner. It is a sunny day outside with minimal clouds.

"Everyday Heroes" Wall[]

"What is a hero?



The Zeitgeist Gallery is proud to be a participant in the 2013 "Everyday Heroes" national contest, a showcase for today's future stars of photography.

The winners, chosen by prestigious teachers from art schools and programs across the nation, reveal imaginative skill and heartfelt awareness which highlight the casual heroism of those who may never appear on the news (or reality shows) for unrecog- nized deeds to the community and beyond. Celebrating each young artist and their work is as important as their celebration of our all too often invisible Everyday Heroes..."




Official Winners of the Everyday Heroes Contest
  • Dawn Weber
  • Bob Kesey
  • Nami Moon
  • Samson Pink
  • Max Caulfield
  • Sean Bath Hornsby
  • Nathan Lutsock
  • Lee Gardner
  • Whitney Hess
  • Brett StilIo
  • Noah Young
  • Brian Eggers
  • Paul Robbins
  • Sarah McCarthy
  • Mary Harding
  • Gary Evenson
  • Anastasia Carver
  • James Drury
  • Donna Coupland
  • Lisa F. Dodge
  • Ashiey Gaddis
  • Kevin Pynchon
  • Monica Ruff
  • Aiicia Marinus
  • Adrian Strummer
  • Keith Ballard
  • Matt Cline
  • Julian Vollmann
  • Stephen Leyner
  • Teddy Atwood
  • Betty Gass
  • Suzy Levin
  • Jim Vonnegut
  • Stephen Chabon
  • Ruth T. Powers
  • Samia Hempel
  • Andrew Markson
  • Steve Kindred
  • Amy Brautigan
  • Debra Marcus

Exhibitions[]

The Everyday Heroes exhibition runs from 10/11/2013 to 12/06/2013. Max arrives at the gallery on its opening day.

Interactions[]

PC users: Hover over the text to see Max's comments. See here for all interactions in the game.

Ground Floor[]

  • Max can look at the gallery donation box. (Comment: "I need to drop some serious cash in there.")
  • She can look at an art book about the history of the gallery. (Comment: "The Zeitgeist Gallery does have a cool history in Frisco... I mean, San Francisco.")
  • She can look at another art book about murals. (Comment: "I wish I had time to go see those murals here...")
  • She can look at and speak to the gallery receptionist. (Comment: "I never thought I'd get to speak to a gallery receptionist about my own work... Nice.")
  • She can read an issue of the "Golden Gate Reporter" newspaper. (Comment: "Wowser, a Danny Lee article...")
  • She can look at the "Hunt for the Real October" leaflet. (Comment: "I wonder how it is to live in a submarine like that... It must be really claustrophobic.")
  • She can look at the "Stop the Startups" leaflet. (Comment: "The revolution will not be televised...")
  • She can look at the "Learn the Craft and History of the Shambhala" leaflet. (Comment: "I love how much cool art is going on all over the Bay Area... unlike Arcadia Bay.")
  • She can look at the "Caltiki Tours" leaflet. (Comment: "Some mysteries... should stay that way.")
  • She can look at the "Skull&Bones" leaflet. (Comment: "Holy shit! This flyer was designed just for Chloe. I wonder if I'm ready for the mosh pit...")
  • She can look at the "Nigel's Samhain Druid Festival" leaflet. (Comment: "But what would I wear?")
  • She can look at the "History of Dystopian Cinema" leaflet. (Comment: "How fun! Yes, Warren would definitely 'Go Ape' over this show.")
  • She can look at the list of the "Everyday Heroes" Contest winners. (Comment: "There I am... along with all the other winners. I should say 'artists' instead.")
  • She can look at the neon art. (Comment: "Not my style, but the neon is a nice representation... Oh shit! Pretentious alert.")
  • She can speak to a man standing near the neon art.
  • She can look at the guestbook. (Comment: "It's great to read all these comments... even the mean ones.")

Lower Floor[]

  • Max can look at the three statues. (Comment: "That one is kind of silly..."
    "I would love to have this on a shelf, someday."
    "I like. But imagine how much time it takes to make one sculpture...")
  • She can speak to a red-headed woman.
  • Max can look at the camera next to the woman and take an optional photo with it. (Comment: "Hmmm. That looks familiar... This might be too meta-metaphoric.")

Upper Floor[]

  • Max can look at the food. (Comment: "I guess I have to get used to the idea of fancy food I don't want to eat...")
  • She can look at and speak to Principal Wells. (Comment: "It was cool that Principal Wells came along. He could have
    canceled our entries after... what happened with Jefferson.")
  • She can look at the champagne. (Comment: "Champagne makes me think of me and Chloe getting busted with that wine...")
  • She can read an issue of "The Independent". (Comment: "Young and grunge... He'll think about those days for the rest of his life in prison... Good.")
  • She can speak to several people admiring pictures in the gallery.
  • She can have a Moment of Calm on the couch.
  • She can have a conversation with Daniel Lee.
  • She can look at and focus on her contest entry (required). (Comment: "You did it, Max... You're a real artist. At least for today...")

Max's Praise[]

Max's entry gains her a lot of attention, and she is praised both directly and indirectly by a number of strangers in the gallery.

Receptionist: "Why, good morning! You must be Max Caulfield. Congratulations for your "Everyday Heroes" photo! The exhibition is quite impressive, especially with your entry."

Man: "Oh, hey… You're the one who entered the self-portrait. Or, actually, do you call it a "selfie"? Anyway, I was very impressed about how you subverted it, to make all of your photos subjects the focus… Very smart."

Man: "Whoa, you did that selfie... pretty hot. If you want, we can smoke a spliff after the show..."

Man (Journalist): "Are you Max Caulfield? Bravo on your entry. I'm the art critic for Iris-In Magazine, and we would love to include you in a piece about future trendsetters in photography. I'll send you the details this week, if that's okay. Congratulations for your piece."

Man: "Sorry, I don't know your name, but I saw your picture in the gallery brochure and I just wanted to let you know how cool your entry was."

Man: "Well, I have to say this is the best "Everyday Heroes" show I've seen since it began. All the pictures say a lot about our times... Bravo."

Daniel Lee (Journalist): "Sorry to bother you, but my name is Danny Lee and I’m with the Berkeley People’s Herald. I edit their art section and I totally dig your work. Now, I know the whole "ironic selfie" thing is kind of played out, but there's something… timeless about your images. So I'd love to set up an appointment or interview with you when you get a chance. Here's my card… So great talking with you, Max."

Woman: "Miss Caulfield, I'm from the admissions office at UC Berkeley, I'd love to talk to you about a new academic setting for you later on today… If I can."

Woman: "You must be the Everyday Hero from Blackwell... My name is Lauren Francis and I run the Media Department at Detroit School Of Visual Arts. I'd love to talk about you being a residency next spring... Don't say anything to Principal Wells. Yet."

Woman: "Hey, I love your shot. I just wanted to say congratulations, and I hope you get a lot more attention."

Woman: "Um, excuse me. I just wanted to tell you how much I loved your photograph. I've seen a lot today, but there's something powerful and understated in yours. I can't wait to see much more of your work in the future."

Trivia[]

  • This was the first and only location that Max could explore outside of Arcadia Bay in the original game.
  • Judging from concept art, in an early stage of conceptualization the gallery was supposed to be called "eye' Z Gallery".
  • The name "Zeitgeist" is a Germanism that embodies the spirit, beliefs, or ideas of a certain period of time.
  • A series of sculptures in the lower-floor exhibit room seem to depict John Cleese's signature Ministry of Silly Walks walk.
  • One of the art exhibits at the Zeitgeist Gallery is a picture of a person's cybernetic arm similar to Adam Jensen's.
  • In the gallery's lobby, Max can see a pamphlet for a lecture about dystopias, with examples like Metropolis, Planet of the Apes, Blade Runner, and The Hunger Games.
  • Max also sees a newspaper article written by a person called "Danny Lee". This name could refer to a New Zealand golfer who often takes selfies. In one article he is even referred to as the "No. 1 golfer in the world (when it comes to selfies)".[1]
  • Many of the "Everyday Heroes Contest" winners share surnames with famous sci-fi writers, such as: Atwood, Ballard, Chabon, Cline, Eggers, Levin, McCarthy, Pynchon, and Vonnegut.[2]
  • The guestbook at the Zeitgeist Gallery has an entry written by someone named Lisa Simpsons, a possible reference to the TV series The Simpsons.
  • The "This is water" graffiti that is visible outside the gallery can be a reference to the homonymous commencement speech by David Foster Wallace.
  • Lead-Writer and Co-Director Christian Divine is credited as "Additional Voices" in the end credits of "Polarized", as he voiced several people who attend the "Everyday Heroes Contest" exhibition at the Zeitgeist Gallery.
  • While most of the street names listed on the fliers and leaflets are accurate to their real-world counterparts, there is no such thing as a Miranda Street in Oakland, California. The nearest city from Oakland that has a street like that is Hayward, CA.

Gallery[]

Concept Art[]

References[]

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