Client: College for Creative Studies

Overview

The goal was to create a lightshow spectacular for the 37th Annual Detroit International Wine Festival, benefiting the College for Creative Studies. Mindfield collaborated with TLS Productions and DWPLive to project custom-mapped video art onto the Grand Army of the Republic Building in downtown Detroit – a 120 foot wide, 90 foot tall canvas, originally built in 1899. The program was a seamless, eleven minute long loop of wine-inspired imagery uniquely designed to conform to the building’s architecture and add an elegant ambience to the annual black-tie fundraiser.

Goals

The 37th Annual Detroit International Wine Auction is a traveling affair, finding a new home each year, and always in search of creative and inspiring venues that support the artistic intent of the College for Creative Studies. The 2018 edition was hosted in Detroit’s Beacon Park – the city’s most recent public space and certainly one of its most active. Directly across the street, one of Detroit’s truly iconic buildings, the Grand Army of the Republic Building, built in 1899, watches over the park and provides a stunning backdrop to any visitor. The goal for this piece was to enhance the evening with living art by projection-mapping onto the G.A.R. Building, creating a constantly evolving work that both illuminated and enlivened the evening affair. Mindfield found inspiration in the idea, imagery, and manufacture of wine, all while being cognizant that the final result had to live up to the stellar reputation CCS has as one of the finest art institutions in the U.S.

Process

Due to the nature of projection-mapping, the process is inherently a duality, simultaneously pursuing both the artistic and technical aspects. One cannot work successfully without the other. Artistically, Mindfield collaborated with the College for Creative Studies, DTE Energy, and the Event Chairs, Dave & Peggy Meador to establish an overall direction that would dovetail with the evening’s theme, timeline and overall goals. Mindfield artists Sean Emery, Jim Vance, Collin Dow, and Steve Savalle each tackled portions of the overall piece to ensure a variety of active art, all under the umbrella of the general concept marrying art and wine. The artists were constantly reconnecting the concepts back to the building’s architecture and form to enhance the presentation and truly make it feel as if the building were alive. Lighting Director, Bobby Glowacki of TLS Productions designed additional lighting elements and smoke effects for the building’s two towers. Edward Lunsford of DWPLive oversaw projection, warping, and playback through Disguise media servers feeding six 30k Barco Projectors. All parties were in regular conversation to ensure that the video elements would match seamlessly to the building and lighting effects would integrate with the content.

Additional Information

This project wouldn’t have been possible without the kind and passionate support of DIWA Event Chairs, Peggy and Dave Meador and DTE Energy