torafu architects + WOW design: canon neoreal wonder

‘canon neoreal wonder’ designed by torafu architects and WOW design image © designboom

marking the fourth year of canon’s ‘neoreal’ immersive installations at milan design week, ‘neoreal wonder: the world of canon digital imaging’ has been designed for the company by japanese firm torafu architects and WOW design studio, based in japan and florence.

a large, curved projection screen flanks either end of the installation space, exhibiting scenes that range from abstract colours and patterns to sped footage of the rising and setting sun over cities and tundras. in the middle of the gallery, additional footage is projected onto the ‘light loom’ designed by torafu architects. the functional sculpture consists of hundreds of strands of leveling cord, each 0.5mm thick strung at a length of 16 meters, and spelling out ‘wonder’ along one wall. together the strings themselves compose a kind of screen, where light and colour are projected through images designed by WOW under the theme ‘circle of light’.

video of the installation video © designboom

entryway to the installation

the ‘light loom’ is designed as a physical manifestation of the projection of light. while suspended from single points at high height on one side of the gallery, the cords of the piece spread and lower to form the letters at the other, so that visitors must be conscious of their physical presence in parts of the space. a hill-like form installed on the floor encourages viewers to sit beneath the strings to experience both the artistic and technical aspects of the piece in a different way.

a large curved screen flanks either side of the room, displaying projections that compress longer-term events into a few moments image © designboom

full view of one display panel

much of the footage seeks to compress time, such as the course of the sun and moon during a day and night, into a ‘single moment’ image © designboom

full view of one of the projection screens image © designboom

images include abstract forms and hyperreal projections like the one above image © designboom

‘neoreal wonder 2011’ involves the use of twenty canon projectors, including the WUX10 markII that incorporates the company’s LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology. the projected images were created using canon products including the 5D digital SLR camera with video recording capability, and the ivis hf m41 digital camcorder.

koichi suzuno and shinya kamuro of torafu architects reflect: ‘it is our view that the kind of perversion of fiction and reality that comes from giving form to what is actually formless by using string might lead us to the elusive reality of our modern times. it is possible to have a physical experience which allows the realization of what is essentially invisible.‘

view from the far wall, looking up towards the originary points of the ‘light loom’ with display screens visible on either side