Multimedia illusions with new highlights for the Swarovski Crystal Worlds

30.11.2007 | http://kristallwelten.swarovski.com/

The tourist magnet in the Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens, the water-spouting giant, has been open to the public again since 30 November 2007, having been given a new look. On behalf of Wiener Artevent GmbH, the company that manages the theme park for André Heller, checkpointmedia redesigned four Chambers of Wonders and provided a highly specialised audio and video accompaniment to the latest work by music legend Brian Eno.

In La Primadonna Assoluta, the chamber in which a giant crystal divides up the room with its light, we encounter the art of the primadonna assoluta, Jessye Norman, singing in a performance in the Crystal Worlds' Crystal Dome. The film portrait, made by André Heller, shows Jessye Norman singing the closing aria from Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and can be enjoyed at close quarters leaning comfortably on a pillar.

Leaving those musical heights we then plunge down into the underwater world of Poseidons Puzzle. As we cross a footbridge the scenery shifts at every step. Ribbons arranged in perspective draw us on by means of light and sound compositions. We feel as if we are underwater because our own movements create the impression of currents, while marine sounds from hidden speakers wash round us.

In the Brian Eno Chamber of Wonders, 55 Million Paintings by Brian Eno, checkpointmedia was responsible for the technical side of making Eno's vision a reality in cooperation with Lumen London, mediapool and clear fog. What is unique about this work is that no visitor ever sees the same image or hears the same sound. Using images and sound sequences that are constantly regenerating, Eno demonstrates the temporary nature of the moment and the concept of the original.

In the Reflections Chamber we enter a crystalline kaleidoscope that demonstrates the organising principles of the micro- and macrocosmos. The centre of the installation is reached by ascending a gently sloping ramp modelled on the spiralling movement of the Andromeda Nebula. While the beginning of the spiral focuses on a study of crystal as a material, the crystal world attains maximum density and intensity in the centre. The various topics are presented on a total of 48 polygons and more than 300 screens in the form of pictures, graphics, illustrations, mirrors and animated films. A complex lighting control system turns the room into a stage of light and a 16-channel sound installation provides an acoustic backdrop on our journey to the centre.

After this spectacular experience the tour ends in Timeless Swarovski, where "mementoes" from the history of Swarovski are displayed in two rows of display cases. Real artefacts combine with twelve videos to tell the story of the people behind the company, the products and the Swarovski brand. The main theme is crystal in its myriad variations.

Pictures (7 MB): Swarovski_Kristallwelten_2007.zip
Credits: Swarovski_Credits.pdf