WINNER
Takeover
by BBC Studios Creative, for BBC Factual Marketing
As a celebration of The Green Planet AR Experience –which is powered by EE 5G – opening its doors, BBC Studios transformed the iconic intersection at Piccadilly Circus into a lush display of foliage. Sir David Attenborough also appeared on the Piccadilly Lights (a huge screen towering above the streets) to remind passers-by that plants are the basis of all life, and we depend on them for the very air we breathe and the food that we eat.
For the event, BBC Studios used 4K DeepScreen technology to create a colossal 3D animation that saw the concrete backdrop of the screen burst into life, with an abundance of greenery eventually covering the entire space. This was accompanied by a plant installation from The Crown Estate at the adjacent Fountain of Eros, in the middle of Piccadilly Circus, from which passers-by were encouraged to take plants as part of the messaging around humanity’s deep connection to nature. This imaginative stunt gave the natural world its chance to shine, and the ground-breaking AR experience sold out within 24 hours.
The judges said: “Very realistic animation and I love the execution of this. Nice mix of using concrete and greenery. Brings a sustainable message to a commercial space and encourages us to question ourselves.”
Goodwood Festival of Speed: Lotus Aeroad
by Unit9, for Goodwood Festival of Speed and Lotus Cars
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual hill climb in Sussex, England, that features historic motor racing vehicles. Each year, the iconic Central Feature sculpture at Goodwood celebrates automotive royalty through art, but with Lotus Cars being the exclusive 2021 event partner, this year it needed to help launch the brand’s new Emira model.
For the first time in its history, Goodwood gave the responsibility of designing this sculpture to a whole new team – production studio UNIT9. Turning the tradition of a physical structure on its head, Unit9 chose instead to make the Central Feature sculpture a digital installation using AR. As such, Goodwood attendees could use the Lotus Aeroad iOS or Android app to transform the display into a digitally-enhanced, dramatically curved race track complete with four raceable AR Lotus supercars, including the new Lotus Emira. Instead of overshadowing the traditional physical installation, this digital layer enhanced its feeling of magic, entertaining attendees and spotlighting Lotus’ latest model to great effect.
Coalescence
by Acrylicize
Designed by art collective and consultancy Acrylicize, Coalescence is an interactive placemaking installation that highlights how humanity and technology, the two sides of its client’s business (which has been kept confidential), come together to define all of our futures. Built using hundreds of digital screens, the installation highlights how this tech giant empowers people and businesses to achieve more.
Beginning with the realisation that, despite being a huge company, many pieces within it have to come together for each thing that it creates, they chose to embody this notion within the piece. Resembling a comet flying through space, the installation celebrates the entire process of creation – the people, the technology and the journey. It displays graphics and videos which can be viewed from all angles, and the closer you look, the more secrets you uncover. A mirrored backing to the cube allows the viewer to see the comet tails reflected in the back, while the bottom of the cube is actually a screen that allows people to lie underneath to view the content. Secret messages can also be found on the comet tails, inviting viewers to engage with hidden gems in the stories it displays.
Sonzai at the V&A Museum
by Roland Lane Studio, for V&A
Sonzai is a mixed reality experience directed by Roland Lane which celebrates the power of dance. Situated within the famous Paintings Gallery at the V&A museum in London, visitors engage with the experience through Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 spatial computing headset. It features choreographer and performer Maëva Berthelot, whose dance for the piece was volumetrically captured by XR entertainment production studio Dimension.
The performance is viewed against a backdrop of iconic paintings by the likes of J.M.W. Turner and John Constable, highlighting the contrast between old and new art forms. Within the installation itself, Berthelot is seen moving amongst an audiovisual environment inspired by the heightened brain stimulation and activity that dancing triggers. Once the performance finishes, her figure disappears and harmony with the physical space around it is restored. The remnants of the digital landscape become an immersive artwork to sit alongside other timeless landscapes within the gallery.
Digital Installations
shortlisted