Get ready for Light the Night, when buildings in downtown Fort Lauderdale will come alive with spectacular video projection displays the first week of March. A collaboration of Broward Cultural Division’s Public Art & Design Program and the creative solutions firm, MAD, Light the Night is the first activation of its kind in Broward County, incorporating innovative 3D projection mapping technology to project new site-specific artworks by South Florida artists onto three buildings in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Featuring newly commissioned projection mapping videos by Agustina Woodgate, Jen Clay, Edison Peñafiel and Monica Lopez de Victoria, Light the Night’s nightly activations of light, color and motion – some spanning 10 stories high – will be displayed March 1-7 weeknights from 7-10pm and the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from 7-11pm on the facades of Broward County Government Center (115 S. Andrews Ave.), NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale (One East Las Olas Blvd.) and Society Las Olas (301 SW 1st Ave.). The buildings are located within walking distance of each other.
Light the Night provides a unique outdoor art experience for the public in a low-density environment. Health and safety reminders will also be projected onto the buildings and Broward County public health guidelines must be followed. The activations will also feature video art by Quisqueya Henriquez, Susanne M. Winterling, Samson Kambalu, Raul Ferrera-Balanquet, Diana Shpungin, Rachel Perry and Samantha Salzinger, courtesy of the collections of NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale and the Francie Bishop Good and David Horvitz collection at Girls’ Club, along with video art by artists Jen Stark, David Lewandowski and Matthew Schreiber.
Rather than using a conventional screen, projection mapping, also known as video mapping, uses a physical space or object as a surface for the projection. The pieces produced are adapted to each space, and are then mapped to its surfaces, giving the projection architectural dimensionality that transforms flat surfaces into dynamic art filled with moving patterns, lights and animations.
Broward Cultural Division Director Phillip Dunlap said, “Partnering with MAD enabled us to provide a unique opportunity for local artists to learn how to use this cutting-edge technology and work with a creative team to expand their artistic practice. We look forward to presenting the results of their work to the public.”
Light the Night was curated by Sofia Bastidas Vivar, who noted, “This creative mapping technology is not only a great way to showcase these artists throughout the city, but also serves as a new outlet for artists to see the city as a space where they can envision large-scale projection artworks.”
For more information, visit ArtsCalendar.com/LighttheNight.
