Pop projection-mapping

Austin, Texas – Japanese pop group Perfume stole the show at this year’s SXSW with a stunning live performance that blended the physical and the digital using advanced projection-mapping.

• Projection-mapping has great potential for experiential retail spaces
• The technology is becoming more advanced to offer real-time mapping using motion capture

The art has come a long way since Box by Bot & Dolly put projection-mapping on the radar of designers across the globe. Produced by Kaoru Sugano, creative director of agency Dentsu, and created by the team at Rhizomatiks, Perfume’s performance created a unique illusion that consumed the Austin venue in a holographic world. The singers appeared to be moving seamlessly between a digital space and the stage in a piece of choreography that worked effectively with its high-octane techno-pop sounds. The effects were achieved using a combination of detailed pre-production, including an elaborate 3D scan of the venue and a dynamic projection-mapping system cast onto semi-translucent screens in front of the singers, explains Daito Manabe, who was responsible for the show’s technical elements.

The Big Picture: Designers are visualising our Sharded worlds as we move seamlessly between our real-life and digital personas.