Moment Factory, the multimedia entertainment studio specialising in the conception and production of immersive environments, is sharing details of a recent project with Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) which used projection mapping, AI-assisted content, mobile-based interactivity and reactive audio to transform a gallery space.
Flowing Forces, the second groundbreaking collaboration between Moment Factory and AWE, is a multimedia exhibition motivated by a shared goal to challenge established museum conventions by presenting fresh, creative approaches to public engagement with art. This attraction builds on Against the Current, a mobile-based interactive urban art walk that launched successfully during the height of the pandemic in downtown Windsor, Ontario.
For this project, Moment Factory was encouraged by AWE to “think outside the frame” and leverage the team’s deep experience with bleeding-edge multimedia environments into a new contemporary, immersive interpretation of the traditional art exhibition.
Blending the real and the digital
In a gallery setting, projection mapping, artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content, mobile-based interaction, and sound design combine to create a new immersive experience that connects paintings from AWE’s collection, blending the real and digital worlds.
Using interactive technologies, Flowing Forces expands the potential of cultural and educational encounters by allowing visitors to interact with a gallery displaying originals of the same famous paintings from AWE’s collection that were used as reproductions in the interactive urban art walk.
Throughout the show, guests interact with visual and auditory surprises that appear along the walls between artworks by using their mobile devices as “magic wands.”
Aaliyeh Afshar, multimedia director at Moment Factory, explains: “One of my favorite aspects of the project was the possibility to work with artificial intelligence to produce parts of our visuals.
“Finding the right technique of how to blend the artwork made by our human artist, the artificial machine-made imagery and the paintings from the AWE collection was a welcome challenge. Harnessing artificial intelligence as a tool for brainstorming and iterating ideas allowed us to explore visuals that we may not have created otherwise.”
AWE’s executive director, Jennifer Matotek, says: “The end product is a unique digital experience that explores the themes connected between pictures. “It is often a challenge for museums to work with their collection in innovative and interactive ways. Our work with Moment Factory on Flowing Forces provides a completely innovative model for what’s possible. We are proud to be a leader in illustrating how institutions can experiment with innovative digital technology while leveraging their historical art collections.”
Earlier this year, Moment Factory celebrated the launch of AURA Invalides in Paris, which combines light, orchestral music, and video mapping to immerse visitors in the beauty and heritage of the Dôme des Invalides. It offers visitors a new perspective on the building that houses Napoleon’s tomb. The first project from Moment Factory’s AURA series to take place in Europe, it was created in partnership with the Musée de l’Armée and produced by France’s cultural agency, Cultival.
