“Projection mapping, also known as video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is a projection technology used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into a display surface for video projection.” (Wikipedia).
I find that projection mapping is a fascinating case for discussion of image and materiality.
On the one hand, the building on which the visuals are projected has a well-defined and perceived materiality. Being also a screen for the projected images, it is an integral part of the overall visual message. As a result, because of the tangibility of the building, the images themselves become concrete in the eye of the beholder, almost touchable. The digital projected image has attained a materiality that is traditionally associated with analogue images like paintings, pottery, and, even more so in this case, sculpture.
On the other hand, however, the immaterial light as a vehicle of the images overlays a modified materiality on top of the existing materiality of the screen. As a result, the screen itself is reshaped, repainted, animated. We are witnessing an enhanced, multi-layered materiality of the image.
The following video is a case in point. It shows the evolution of the astronomical tower clock at Old Town Square, Prague, through its 600 years of existence.
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