CanDo, a video, lighting, sound and multimedia company in Belgium, turned to Medialon for an installation in the Belgian Pavilion at the Exposition of Global Harmony 2005 in Seto City, Japan, which runs through September 25. With the theme "Nature’s Wisdom," the World Expo offers participants the opportunity to discuss many global issues that face humankind. It is designed to emulate a model community where humans can live in harmony with nature.
At the Belgian Pavilion, Francois Schuiten and Alexandre Obolensky have devised an installation that immerses visitors in a fairytale atmosphere combining artistic creation and the most advanced technology.
The pavilion illustrates the way Belgian artists, from Van Eyck to contemporary stylists, have included nature in their works and how, through their vision, they have influenced the society around them. The concept is designed as a pictorial opera featuring several scenes based on giant picture reproductions from light projections as well as single and blended video projections. Each scene includes special effects, synchronizing audio commentary, lights, and video animations. The installation culminates in a room dedicated to Belgium’s regions and communities where a 270º, 45m-long panoramic projection screen displays digital video images of everyday life in the country.
The installation is controlled and synchronized by Medialon Manager software; Medialon Manager controls the pavilion’s automated opening and closing (equipment ignition and shut down) and ensures the seamless playback of various shows throughout the day. Among the equipment under Medialon’s control are 12 Barco video projectors, 14 Pioneer players, seven DoReMi servers, 30 Pioneer amplifiers, 106 dimmer circuits, and 80 CanDo trichromatic neon lightboxes.
Amazingly, Medialon show-control software, controlled from Brussels and linked to a camera-surveillance server, also provides information concerning the shows’ progress and allows intervention from 12,000 kilometers away.