Posted February 17th, 2022 by Emily Burkinshaw & filed under , General, Project Focus.
Were only 7 weeks into 2022 and we’ve already had a whirlwind start to the year at Pro Display, working on projects around the globe and planning for the year ahead. We’ve put together a list of the most exciting projects we’ve been a part of in recent months in the build-up to the launch of our new website, be the first to hear any updates by signing up to our newsletter here!
Clearview Projection Film – Fondation Cartier, Paris
American artist Sarah Sze returned to the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain in Paris to hold her 2nd solo exhibition at the venue, Night into Day. Sze was intent on returning to the Fondation Cartier because of the building itself citing: “I’ve always loved this building; I think it’s a masterpiece … This time I’m using the building as a machine, an image-maker, co-opting the building as almost like a camera itself.’
‘One of the strangest, most radical things about the building is that it is a massive glass screen, a screen that you are kind of passing through.” Sze says, “It’s a gateway and then the interior and exterior are constantly flipping.” The timing of the exhibition allowed Sze to take advantage of the darker autumn nights, when the sun drops ‘the entire building will become like a mirage of spinning images, a large zoetrope’. Our Clearview film was essential in bringing this idea to life, allowing the images to appear on the windows to create a truly immersive installation.
Our Clearview Transparent Rear Projection Film allowed the exhibition to extend beyond the gallery walls, with visitors being able to enjoy the centrepiece from the garden at night and see the collection from a completely new perspective. Our holographic film was perfect for this project as it maintained the transparency of the windows whilst also providing a HD/4K surface for the projected images without taking the focus away from the installation, exactly how the artist had imagined.
Digital Glass – Expo 2020, Dubai
The UAE has pulled out all the stops to make Expo 2020 the best yet, with each of the 192 participating countries having their own dedicated pavilion for the first time in the Expos history. The huge plot is split into 3 main thematic districts; Opportunity, Mobility & Sustainability, with each offering completely unique experiences. Our focus brings us to the Sustainability Pavilion – Terra, aiming to encourage change and inspire its visitors to help protect and preserve the planet. The structure itself was designed by UK based Grimshaw Architects and is meant to meet the highest available accreditation for sustainable architecture, whist offering informative walkthrough experiences.
‘Terra’ lets visitors wander through the forests, dive into ocean depths and even see earths wonders corrupted, showing both the beauty of nature and the real impact of humans on our environment. Terra offers two paths, both are immersive experiences designed to show the beauty and delicacy of our forests and oceans and use a range of sensory techniques to create lasting, thought-provoking memories.
Pro Display were specified by Dominion Global, the appointed AV integrators for the Sustainability Pavilion to provide specialist projection solutions for several scenarios within the exhibition. We supplied 7 of our Digital Glass Ultra Short Throw Rear Projection Screens in a range of sizes, made to measure for integration into custom built housing in both the ocean and forest environments. The screens ranged in size with the largest at 4.5 meters in width, manufactured using our unique coating techniques to create a huge seamless screen designed for both short throw and edge blending applications.
360 Film – Boise State University, Idaho
After the COVID pandemic drove most of the work online Lisa Hunt, the interim director of the Keith and Catherine Stein Luminary at Boise State University, decided to use this to their advantage. The initial vision was to bring in art from around the world to open the minds of the students and young people of Idaho. However, the pandemic forced many businesses like galleries and museums to close indefinitely, leading to a variety of digital alternatives surfacing online with Hunt saying: “Museums started to release images of their artworks out of their collections with copyright clearance and with high resolution, the timing was perfect to create software that would allow us to take advantage of that data.”
The vision of the Stein Luminary says that the exhibit aims to “illuminate perspectives, transform perceptions and spark imagination.” This state-of-the-art facility’s centrepiece is the 90 feet of touchscreen, bringing thousands of high-resolution artworks from all over the world including pieces from renowned galleries like The Met and the Louvre to the people of Idaho. These global collections are showcased using content created by Downstream, specialist AV consultants for unique, digitally augmented environments, where users can explore the artwork, view pieces side by side, pan in and zoom around to thoroughly explore the details.
The Stein Luminary integrated eight 26K lumen projectors with 18 glass panel systems that were custom fitted with 360 Degree Dual Image Projection Film and a capacitive touch film to create a seamless 270 degree experience with added 7.1 digital surround sound. To create an effective interactive front projection screen, Downstream opted for using ultra short drill lenses on the projectors to keep image interference to a minimum when the screens are in use. Scalable made it possible to automate much of the projection to create a sustainable and interactive projection solution, where calibration could be scheduled during downtime to eliminate the need for human operation.
PCAP Touch Overlay – MSC Starship Club, MSC Cruises
After pandemic-related delays MSC Cruises’ newest ship, the MSC Virtuosa set sail in all its 18 deck, 1086-foot-long glory. With twenty one bars, ten dining venues, four pools and even a basketball court, each venue offers its own unique experience with one in particular starring the first humanoid robotic bartender at sea. The MSC Starship Club is more than just a bar, offering a futuristic, immersive entertainment experience.
The Starship Club is inspired by the spaceships of the future and utilises innovative technologies to create an immersive and convincing experience. Drinks are served by Rob, the first humanoid robotic bartender at sea, after being ordered by guests from the digital cockpits around the venue. Monitors display the status of cocktail preparation while guests wait, with entertainment offered by 3D holograms, a digital art wall and the 12-seat infinity digital interactive table.
The 18-foot long touch table can accommodate 12 users at once, creating a hugely social space where guests can even use their smartphones to integrate with the experience. The Infinity Table is made up of three 75” screens, mounted on a curved, laser-cut and backlit aluminium base, each finished with an interactive glass overlay. We manufactured the interactive glass overlays using toughened glass that had an anti-glare coating to minimise reflections from the surrounding lighting, as well as protect the table from light wear and tear. Each of these overlays were fitted with a 75” Interactive PCAP Touch Foil and the glass had black painted borders to signify the non-active area.
