Primarily know as a wine-producing area, Napa is also known for its art scene, and recently experimented with a new medium for artistic expression. The Napa Lighted Art Festival brought together the power of art and technology to captivate audiences.
The celebration of creative arts and technology was a free, walkable, outdoor experience in Downtown Napa from January 20th - February 18th. It featured 10 lighted art sculptures and projection artwork on three iconic downtown buildings for the first nine nights of the festival.
This year’s exhibition went a step beyond traditional projection mapping by incorporating interactive elements. One installation, for instance, encouraged visitors to submit secret messages that were translated into Victorian flower language before their eyes through coding and projection mapping.
Featured Sculptures
Josh Miller & Angela Fraleigh, Sound the Deep Waters
Sound the Deep Waters is a projection-based art installation that invites visitors to submit secret messages that are translated into Victorian flower language before their eyes. Participants can scan a QR code onsite to submit anything from love letters and prose to inside jokes. Visitors will watch the screens in front of them as their private words become bold, brilliant, larger-than-life floral compositions associated with their messages' meanings.
OGE Group – House of Cards
House of Cards is beautiful and joyful during the daytime and turns into an exciting lightshow at night. The playful idea of creating a House of Cards is not about fragility, disaster or crumbling. It is about the motivation within every child: to dare, to have courage, to create and to challenge one’s skills by aiming to build as high as possible. This installation reminds us to use determination, patience and skill but also belief, trust and to keep the big vision in mind.
Hotaru Visual Guerrilla - Biotechture
Biotechture is a projection mapping artwork that celebrates the profound connection between nature and architecture. Nature has always been a source of limitless inspiration to human beings. Throughout history, architects have frequently turned to nature for inspiration, creating visionary sketches that seamlessly merge organic aesthetics with functional design, forging a sustainable ecosystem where all elements mutually flourish. This artwork illustrates the fusion of architectural frameworks and organic elements, demonstrating their symbiotic coexistence.
Martin Taylor - Touch the Sky
"Touch the Sky" depicts a woman with outstretched winged arms and flowing tail feathers preparing to take flight. The eyes are closed in a serene dreamlike trance. The legs and feet push off against the stylized rock beneath. The sculpture serves as a visual metaphor for taking leaps of faith to achieve our dreams and fly.
Equipment List
· PT-RQ35KU 4K Projectors from Panasonic Connect
· Sound + Modula PI media players
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- For context, the Napa team completes a 3D scan of the buildings (with their partner 3DVDT) to provide these files to the artist and the building template for each specific site.
Team List
- A3 Visual:
- Sean Mason, Chief Creative Officer
- Alexander Schopff, Immersive Division Director
- City of Napa team:
- Katrina Gregory, Recreation & Public Art Manager (Festival Manager)
- Pete Hangen, Recreation Supervisor (Festival Logistics)
- Meredith Knudsen, Public Art Coordinator (Festival Artist Coordinator)
- Panasonic Connect:
- Tim Morin, Strategic Account Manager, Live Entertainment
- Artists:
- Biotechture (displayed at First Presbyterian Church) by Hotaru Visual Guerrilla
- A Journey Through Time (displayed at Historic Napa County Courthouse) by High Resolution Events
- Sound the Deep Waters (displayed at Native Sons) by Josh Miller and Angela Fraleigh