Image Beyond the Screen

13Architectural Projection Mapping Contests: An Opportunity for Experimentation and Discovery

13.1. Introduction

There are several ways to organize architectural video projections. Apart from commercial proposals and municipal orders for festivities, there are international projection mapping contests.

These contests in the form of calls for projects are real platforms for meetings and development of the projection mapping sector. Indeed, they confront different styles through original proposals from competitors, who come from all over the world and who impregnate their creation with their respective cultures. They thus provide opportunities for artistic experimentation and risk-taking where everyone stands out for their expressiveness and hopes to win the prizes.

With these festivals, each year more and more numerous, artists only have the creative aspect to develop. Indeed, the organizer takes care of the technical installation, distribution and preparation of the files necessary to create the projection mapping on the building, including the 3D model and reference photos. These international festivals feature a network of calls throughout the year. The oldest, which still exist, are the Circle of Light in Russia (est. 2011), the 1-Minute Projection Mapping in Japan and the Genius Loci Weimar in Germany (est. 2012). Their organizers are now claiming to receive more than 150 proposals each from more than 30 nations.

These festivals offer a real artistic variety because the ...