The Marriage Of Architecture, Light & Music Through Technology

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Must See Mr. Beam

February 19, 2011

Diamond Sapphire Starbursts are my favourites! 

I write of the Fireworks variety (Click Musical Accompaniment HERE)

And while I'll never be your girlfriend, make mental note to self that if yours ever says "Diamond Sapphire Starbursts are my favourite!", unless she's obsessed with pyrotechnics like me she probably means this:

Which is what bride to be Kate Middleton is wearing as her engagement ring to Prince William!

I digress.

As a foodie cannot live without food, I cannot survive without real estate nor pyrotechnics. To me, they are as essential as canadian club with ginger ale and glowstick bracelets. They make my world go round. I'm serious. Last year, along with being one of Bosley's Top 10 Producers I lit over 300 fireworks (mostly before unsuspecting children on The Button Factory's Fright-Night Halloween Haunted Mews), bestowed 500 glowstick bracelets and, well, let it be said for someone who is allergic to alcohol I still rather enjoy my drink.  

As a young adult, an international fireworks competition was Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all rolled into one. Imagine! Fireworks synchronized to music! Love! And when Toronto's CN Tower embraced new technology and integrated lighting as a permanent feature in June 2007, I was thrilled to see the world’s tallest building at 553m (1,815 ft) phallically on display 24 hours a day! Actually it's very cool. Click the CN Tower below to see a video of it's first illumination!

However, I never considered there would be a day when I could see a building become the object and inspiration for a spectacular glittery modern day 'fireworks' show. My fetish for fireworks has been now been combined with my passion for housing! How?

Welcome Mr. Beam, consisting of Mo Assem and Ruben ‘RUUB’ van Esterik, a small company out of the Netherlands that creates 3D projections on real-life objects - known as video-mapping animations. Their installations are mesmerizing, poetic, and a testament on ways cutting-edge technology can exponentially elevate the sparkly experience. A mesmerizing tour-de-force, their synchronization of architecture, light & music is 'exploding' onto the consciousness of contemporary culture. I call it a magical melodramatic showcase of Progress. They are a MUST-SEE! (Can you tell I'm excited?)

Mr.Beam was recently invited by the city of Ghent, Belgium to join them in their first Light Festival. These dazzlers chose the back yard of Ghent’s conservatory, where they used 180° of this magnificent architectural edifice to demonstrate their creative force. In their own words "The inspiration for this show is mainly based on the huge contrast that the building has in every way. Not only from an architectural point of view - the stunning aged exterior compared with the modern style of the interior -, but also the difference between the overall atmosphere that the building has in day and night. At night time the building gives you a quite dark and spooky feeling, while in broad daylight you will be surrounded by beautiful music that's being played by students. We created the content with these main elements as an inspiration point. Also the architecture itself was the foundation for both the audio composition and the animations which are inseparable from each other."

I love how architecture / space / environment is the foundation of their work. It speaks to my obsession with Housing.

Click the company's logo below to experience this treat, and definitely visit their website to see more mind-blowing examples of art and technology, plus check out their BLOG:

Want to see more? Here's their LIVING ROOM! By turning a white living room into a spacious 360° projection area, they used two projectors to create all colors, patterns and textures for the furniture, wallpapers and carpet. It's the ultimate fantasy for a House Porn Addict with technicolour dreams. Like me. Read my coy confession in this Call Me Bonkers blog. 

What can I say, Now that I've met Mr. Beam, maybe it's Buh Bye HGTV!

Well, errr, umm, 'cept for maybe ColorSplash, my current candy-coloured entree into voyeurism!

Tee Hee!

~ Steven

Photo of CN Tower at night: Courtesy of official CN Tower website and George Fischer

Comments

#1. Posted by Ruben van esterik on March 12, 2011
Wow! Thank you so much for your great article about our work! We feel very honored! Kind regards, Ruben van Esterik Mister Beam

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