Zwinger Xperience, Dresden
| Client: | Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen gemeinnützige GmbH (SBG) |
| Commissioned by: | Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen gemeinnützige GmbH (SBG) |
| Date: | since June 2019 |
| Location: | Dresdner Zwinger |
| Services: | Audio, Video, Lighting, Rigging |
| Project Manager: | Joachim Schlaiß |
| Branch: | Berlin, Dresden |
| Special features: |
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The white domed tent in the courtyard of the historic Zwinger will be an eye-catcher for a whole year and provide Dresden with an additional attraction. Inside the dome, audiences can experience a very special film: they can see the "Wedding of the century, 1719" – a spectacular royal wedding – on a screen measuring four metres in height and 30 metres in width. An approximately 260-degree projection places them right in the middle of the action: an equestrian ballet depicting the four elements, like the one that once fascinated the guests of August the Strong. For a whole six weeks, his son celebrated his marriage to the Austrian emperor's daughter at the recently completed baroque palace. The wedding is still regarded as the most splendid and lavish that Europe has ever seen. The nine-minute "Zwinger Xperience" projection also gives insights into the history of the complex and the structural changes that have taken place throughout the years.
For this temporary installation project, we developed the set-up comprising tent and projection in close collaboration with "m box", a Berlin firm specialising in media productions. We handled the rigging as well as the installation and set-up of the entire audio, lighting, video and control equipment.
Using seven projectors, we realised the 7x1 landscape softedge projection in an overall resolution of 9,948x1,200 pixels. A one-click auto-alignment system automatically calibrates the projection so that the softedge areas and the colours are automatically aligned with one another. This enables the staff in the dome to operate the system themselves using a tablet PC – they can switch on the installation in the morning, control the show during the day and switch off the system in the evening.
On average there are 20 shows a day in the domed tent, which also provides the auditory sensation of 7.1-channel surround sound along with the visual experience. Visitors to Dresden can enjoy this impressive production until the summer of 2020, when a further attraction will then be opened: a permanent media exhibition of architectural history in the Zwinger's curved gallery.
Photos: Ben Walther, Schlösserland Sachsen
