Amazing 3D LED, Without Any Moving Parts

October 16, 2017 by Dave Haynes

There are a bunch of great observations, pro and con, on this post about the Coca-Cola mechanical LED spectacular in Times Square – with some noting that the fact that people are talking about it means it has had the desired effect, while others have said it must be a technical nightmare to manage, and suggest many of the effects could be done in content.

To that last point, look at this video starting at about one minute. It shows what’s possible with 3D dimensional visuals without any moving parts, and in this case, dynamic, generative visuals based on data.

This is in the lobby of a Salesforce building in downtown San Francisco, on a 6mm LED from SNA Displays. It is a public art commission for 350 Mission, called Virtual Depictions:San Francisco, done by Turkish-born, LA-based media artist Refik Anadol.

Artspeak Alert: The main idea of ‘Virtual Depictions:San Francisco’ is to bring 21st century approach to public art, says the Vimeo description, to define new poetics of space through media arts and architecture and to create a unique parametric data sculptures that has an intelligence, memory and culture. Through architectural transformations of media wall located in 350 Mission’ lobby, home of Salesforce, main motivation with this seminal media architecture approach is to frame this experience with a meticulously abstract and cinematic site-specific data-driven narration. As a result, this media wall turns into a spectacular public event making direct and phantasmagorical connections to its surroundings through simultaneous juxtapositions. The project also intends to contribute to contemporary discourse of public art by proposing a hybrid blend of media arts and architecture in 21st century.

Ok then …  anyway, it looks amazing and, again, is the counter-argument to doing what Coca-Cola has running in Times Square.

  1. JB says:

    Great use of content and screen tech. Blending the two together, along with the physical curve of the screen, wrapping around the wall, really sells the effect. I still think the Coke display is more “buzz” worthy, but this is an ideal use case for good content making the digital display integrate to the space in a way static art can’t.

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