Fredrikstad, Norway – In one of the most exciting examples of 3D projection that combines technology, society with architecture, Australian specialist systems integrator, Jumbo Vision International have provided projectiondesign F32 WUXGA DLP projectors for use on an internationally renowned touring exhibit for architectural photographer, Gollings Photography.
‘NOW and WHEN Australian Urbanism’ is a collection of urban visions that uses 3D stereoscopic projection technology from projectiondesign to allow visitors wearing INFITEC passive 3D stereoscopic viewing technology with outstanding color accuracy and image quality, to move around a range of existing and hypothetical urban environments.
The product of Creative Directors, John Gollings and Ivan Rijavec, the exhibit is currently located in the Australian Pavilion, at the 12th Venice Biennaale for Italian Architecture. In late 2010, the exhibit will return to Australia and tour around the country showcasing works in major galleries before it goes to the USA for tour in late January 2011.
The exhibition features two 3D theatres. The NOW theatre highlights five of Australia’s current and most interesting urban and non-urban regions as captured by architectural photographer, John Gollings. The second theatre shows seventeen futuristic urban environments showing how things might look like in the year 2050 and beyond. Depicting Australian cities in over forty years time into the future, these ideas are the result of a national competition set by the Australian Institute of Architects.
“Jumbo Vision supplied 60 pairs of 3D viewing glasses for visitors in the two rooms to see the areas. To make this project possible, Jumbo Vision worked with projectiondesign Norway and their Italian office for the Bienniale and the service and support was excellent,” explains Lena Kimenkowski, General Manager at Jumbo Vision International. “The F32 WUXGA’s were selected because of their high resolution, brightness, colour properties and outstanding stereoscopic configuration and ease of use with INFITEC. Jumbo Vision created custom design mounts to hold each of the projectors in place for this project and is easy to tour the world with. We’re delighted that the exhibit will be coming home to wow Australian audiences very soon.”
“Our F32 series projectors are specifically designed for graphically challenging applications. They are available in special versions for 3D stereoscopic display and visualization. What’s great about this is that they can be used in applications, such as this one for Gollings Photography, which are positioned at an angle on the projection surface to benefit the audience and viewer,” adds Ingar Sundholm, Regional Manager, Africa, Middle East, Israel and India.
Who better to talk about the benefits of using 3D than the photographer themselves and John Gollings explains: “The latest 3D stereoscopy enables visitors to look at our NOW cities from an entirely different viewpoint. 3D is really a way of getting closer to a holographic and virtual experience and making it seriously exciting to view. ‘NOW and WHEN’ is approachable on a lot of different levels so there is something for the person who is interested in any number of factors: architecture, photography, architectural rendering, the development of stereoscopic technology and theories of urbanism or futurism. I wanted to make sure that ‘NOW and WHEN’ is controversial and contentious, but also engaging and entertaining.”
Rijavec and Gollings see future urban transformation in Australia being driven as much by political and economic imperatives as by technology and design. “By combining the NOW and WHEN components, we hope that the exhibition provokes discussion around issues of urban density and sprawl and inspires society to question how it can improve its cities,” said John Gollings.
The exhibition gives expression to Australian ‘urban dreaming’. Rijavec said, “Projections of the stereoscopic 3D images have exceeded all expectations. The extraordinary sequences of images to be displayed in the WHEN component comprise a cyberspace of urban dreaming, that include fantasies, poetic encapsulations, allegories and strong theoretical propositions, woven into a cinematic performance guaranteed to leave the mind reeling. This is an exhibition few visitors will forget.”