Museums remain the traditional home of fine art. However, in recent years, we’ve seen a shift toward immersive digital art experiences that blend culture and entertainment for the masses. Rather than supplanting art’s heritage, these attractions exist in their own space. They recontextualize art and connect it to people in a way that resonates in their daily lives.
Artainment isn’t a trend; it’s an evolutionary leap, and its acceleration during the pandemic is a testament to adaptability. Digital art events became a bridge between physical and virtual spaces, a lifeline for cultural experiences when in-person attendance was challenged.
Bridging the gap between physical and virtual
Artainment is poised to reinvent itself with the advent of generative AI. This heralds unprecedented levels of interactivity. It allows guests to dive into stories at any point and enjoy the same perpetual novelty of an open-world game. Artwork that adapts to its viewers and personalized each visitor’s experience is expected to become more prevalent.
As the final, critical point in the production chain, projectors are responsible for turning the artist’s intention into reality. In many ways, the immersive events of today are made possible by the rapid evolution of these devices.
A far cry from the pale, uninspiring images of yesterday, modern projectors can wrap spatial designs in vibrant images augmented with sensory triggers like spatial audio, interactive lighting, and mist for an overwhelmingly realistic experience.
Digital art: entertainment that’s going places
In 2010, the Australian firm Grande Experiences set out to introduce the world to art and culture through storytelling. Founder, owner, and CEO Bruce Peterson sums up his vision:
“Our mantra is to introduce as many people as we possibly can to art and culture and to have those shared experiences that they can then share again.”
With approximately 15 touring experiences worldwide at any given time and three permanent shows, its influence extends to all corners of the globe.
Of course, the significance of visual technology wasn’t lost on the firm, which chose Panasonic Connect as a co-creative tech partner to support its mission. This relationship presented an opportunity to talk to Peterson and his colleague Craig Smith, head of production, operations & technology, about the role of technology in artainment and the value of collaboration.
“We started working with Panasonic because the visitor is discerning,” Peterson asserts. “The visitor understands quality. When they walk into the experience, whether you’ve got authentic color, quality, look, and feel… they’ve got a keen aesthetic sense. So, it’s a balance between the visitor and the quality and longevity of the product. And the reason we use Panasonic is they blend both of those together perfectly for us.”
Where (art) form meets function
Peterson explains the rationale behind the partnership:
“We are all about fit for purpose when it comes to technology,” he tells blooloop. “With the visitor in mind, we are looking for the technology that works for the visitor and also has the right economic impact for us as a business. Unlike most, we own everything. Anywhere we go, we aren’t renting that equipment. We own it. So, we are very, very particular about that technology, its performance, longevity, functionality – and cost!” he laughs.
At the forefront since 2010
Grande Experiences’ journey began when the immersive art industry was still in its infancy and laser projection was yet to be introduced. According to Craig Smith, the advent of laser marked a turning point for the firm in securing repeatable production no matter the venue or installation site.
“We started with Panasonic laser projectors quite a few years ago; now we’re running fully lampless projection. And that’s key; you’re able to put them within throw range, and you’ll know you’ll get the shot, and they’re going to be reliable and stable and perform the way you expect.
“Running lampless was definitely a game-changer,” he says. “We can orient them in any position and have a lot of flexibility in deploying the projection system. In a typical touring experience, we’re looking at anywhere between 36 and 56 channels. And that depends on the scale of the site and the venue, whether it’s full-floor immersion or partial.”
Adapting to any space with high repeatability
“We approach with the same building blocks we use for all our systems but scaled and localized to suit the site,” Smith continues. “We work in places from deconsecrated 17th-century churches and old stock exchanges through to typical venues and marquees. Deploying the projector in exactly the right spot isn’t always a guarantee.”
Projector choice isn’t only about flexibility; it’s about repeatability.
“Some of the things we look at closely when considering a projection solution are reliability, consistency, how it will perform in different locations and orientations, as well as consistency in brightness, light quality, and burn-in,” says Smith. “Grande Experiences has over 800 projectors in its inventory, plus all of the infrastructure that goes behind them. Ultimately, they are tools to be able to tell a story effectively. Being able to see visitors walk through and enjoy and engage with the space, engage with the content, that’s what it’s all about.”
Illuminating digital art: tech for next-gen experiences
Panasonic Connect has a front-row seat on user needs by forging close partnerships with its clients. This has led to the development of practical answers to problems faced on the ground. With each product iteration, the company seeks to ease the burden on operators and elevate the quality of the experience.
When selecting projectors for artainment, consider the following trends to create and sustain the highest levels of immersion:
- Size and weight: Miniaturized optical engines, high-efficiency cooling systems, and optimized materials meet the need for mobility. The lighter and easier to handle, the bigger the savings in transport and installation, with more freedom to bring large images to confined spaces.
- Resolution: Since images are viewed up close, the importance of fine resolution cannot be overstated. Panasonic’s Quad Pixel Drive tech uses 2-axis shifting for smooth 4K images free from gridding.
- Contrast: Deep black and punchy colors are critical. Competent projectors have frame-by-frame image analysis to suppress dimming in complex scenes.
- Color: Color accuracy (especially red) is vital in the art space. The best single-chip DLP platforms have features like Rich Color Enhancer, which expands red-channel output for authentic color reproduction.
- Mapping: Blending on curved surfaces used to be a headache. Look for point-based black border adjustment. You can set black levels precisely on curved screens within a 0.5-pixel margin for seamless blends on curved screens.
- Reliability, stability, and consistency: Yesterday, high brightness = high voltage. Today, the best projectors can deliver full brightness on mains power, avoiding extra cost. Filterless platforms with IP5X-compliant optical engines, meanwhile, slash maintenance costs. Ensure the unit has failover and redundancy features to avoid interruptions that impact the guest experience.
- Connectivity: Don’t get stuck with obsolete interfaces. Expansion slots and function boards (such as AVoIP) let you add the connections you need.
Immersive digital art: a win for guests and operators
As the Grande Experiences story suggests, technology is critical in supporting the imagination and vision of the artist and attraction designer. There are clear benefits to using laser projection to create or enhance an immersive experience. Not least is the flexibility to update and transform the experience continually without necessitating a full hardware replacement each time.
Digital art won’t ever replace traditional visual art forms. But it does extend it into a parallel space, opening new doors, creating uncharted adventures, and inviting people who might not otherwise experience it to explore the boundless expanse of art and culture.
If you’d like to discuss the ideas in this article, please click here or email Chad Kunimoto, global business development manager for immersive entertainment at Panasonic Connect.
Top image: Van Gogh Alive in Jakarta, Indonesia. Courtesy of Grande Experiences
