The Museum of Art + Light (MoA+L) in Manhattan, Kan., redefines art presentation with a fusion of traditional, digital and immersive experiences. Opened in Nov. 2024, the museum debuted with an immersive Renoir exhibition, bringing the master’s works to life across a 37,000-square-foot projection surface. Featuring over 100 Epson projectors and Modulo Pi’s Kinetic media servers, expertly integrated by Diversified, this state-of-the-art AV setup creates a captivating visual and auditory journey. MoA+L enriches the local community with a 100,000-square-foot venue, blending fine art, NFTs, and cutting-edge technology to engage and inspire visitors.
To drive the 188-million-pixel digital canvas, the MoA+L selected Modulo Pi’s Modulo Kinetic media server. The installation includes 3 x Modulo Kinetic Designer workstations, and 23 x Modulo Kinetic V-Node servers, marking the largest integration of Modulo Pi’s media servers in the U.S. to date, according to Modulo.
The media server platform has been used throughout the project workflow. Sydney Bouhaniche, MoA+L’s creative director, explains, “With Modulo Kinetic Designer, we create concepts and perform video studies that include projector placement, pixel size control and brightness optimization.”
Rudy De La Uz, sales team leader at Diversified, adds, “Modulo Pi’s state-of-the-art media server solution was instrumental in bringing Museum of Art + Light’s vision to life for the immersive projection mapping project. We aimed to transform Sydney’s vision of traditional artwork into a dynamic digital experience that would captivate visitors and redefine how art is perceived.”
Projection Mapping Transforms Art with Modulo Kinetic at MoA+L
Deploying the projection mapping was crucial to delivering a seamless experience, with show content precisely aligned to the gallery’s architecture. During this phase, the teams at MoA+L and Diversified leveraged Modulo Kinetic’s warping tools, guided by the expertise of video mapping specialists Baptiste Jazé and Vladislav Tolic. “Setting up Modulo Kinetic Designer, along with warping and geometry correction, was an enjoyable process with their expertise,” says Sydney Bouhaniche. “The training with Baptiste was exceptionally professional and comprehensive.”
With Modulo Pi’s Warp Remote companion app, the 34,000-square-foot projection surface could be warped collaboratively by multiple operators working simultaneously on their laptops. This streamlined approach significantly accelerated the warping process.
“The intuitive user interface and real-time warping tools enables the ability to efficiently adjust projections on the fly, ensuring that each piece of artwork was displayed with optimal clarity and impact” notes De La Uz. “The platform’s robust performance handled multiple high-definition video streams simultaneously, creating a cohesive and immersive environment without any latency or technical glitches.”
After the projection was set up, MoA+L utilized Modulo Kinetic’s embedded UI Designer to create custom control panels, simplifying daily operations and ensuring efficient management of the installation. “I find Modulo Kinetic’s versatility exceptional” says Sydney Bouhaniche. “In terms of playback, I particularly appreciate the intuitive control through the tablet-based UI, which makes managing the system remarkably easy.”
De La Uz says, “Modulo Pi’s comprehensive media server solution was the key to achieving the Museum’s goals of delivering a groundbreaking digital showcase. Their technology not only met the complex technical requirements of the project but also elevated the artistic presentation, resulting in an unforgettable experience that seamlessly blended the worlds of traditional art and modern technology.”
Click to ‘View Gallery‘ above of photos from the exhibition. All photos courtesy of Museum of Art + Light.
