20 TOOLS & TECHNIQUES
LET THERE BE LIGHT Light festivals are also on trend across European cities, with projections at the heart of many of them. One of oldest light festivals in the world is Fête des Lumières in Lyon, France. The façades of some of the city’s most stunning buildings are brought to life under the lights of projectors every December. Another French city to embrace the technology is Lille for its Video Mapping Festival. Panasonic’s PT-RQ45 made its live debut there, powering a mapping spectacle that transformed Opéra de Lille into the centrepiece of a city-wide trail of immersive digital creations. Last summer, Christie’s RGB pure laser projectors illuminated Portugal’s Picadeiro Open Sounds in Fundão and Yard Festival in Setúbal and Palmela. For the events, ADLC Audiovisuais deployed Christie M 4K25 RGB and M 4K15 RGB projectors. Each location came with its own challenges. “These festivals show how projection can deepen the audience’s connection with music and art,” says José Cordeiro, director of ADLC Audiovisuais. “What makes Christie RGB pure laser projectors stand out is how consistently they amaze people. The colour, the brightness, the uniformity – it all comes
together to create moments that people don’t forget. Whether it’s a music festival or a mapping show, the experience feels bigger, more alive and more immersive than anything else we’ve worked with.” These projects continue to highlight how projection mapping is moving beyond one-off spectacles into a wide range of permanent attractions. IS IT JUST PROJECTION? RGB pure laser projection has been one of the most significant advancements in the space. Graziano notes that they are able to deliver exceptional colour performance, long operational life and consistent brightness, while reducing maintenance requirements compared with traditional lamp-based systems. “Automated alignment along with calibration technologies have also transformed the industry,” he adds. “Solutions that automate warping, blending and image correction can help to reduce installation complexity and maintain image quality over time, particularly when it comes to multi- projector deployments.” According to Graziano, Christie has several sizeable mapping projects under development in the EMEA region, which are set to culminate over the next
PufferSphere from Pufferfish (above) and an image of the vivid projection display Art on the Mart (top)
12 to 18 months across high-end retail destinations, sports stadiums and water- based locations. A number of factors are continuing to evolve projection mapping, including experiential marketing and the rise of live events. AI is also increasing the capabilities that come with it, allowing real-time adjustments and personalisation. Visual storytelling is now at the forefront of many industries and, as a result, projection mapping is poised for significant growth over the next few years. When I stumbled across Art on the Mart, it felt almost futuristic. But now installations are appearing everywhere, from museums to sporting arenas. With advancements in AI and other technologies, they’re likely here to stay.
Projection mapping is moving beyond one-off spectacles into a wide range
of permanent attractions
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