Van Gogh Expo Vietnam

Using the company’s patented, camera-based auto-alignment technology, a team from VIOSO designed and calibrated the multi-projector set-up at the heart of the first large-scale immersive art exhibition in Vietnam.

Held across 3,800m² in an indoor/outdoor exhibition space at the Gigamall shopping centre in Ho Chi Minh City, the Van Gogh Art Lighting Experience leverages AV technologies including projection mapping, virtual reality and 3D audio to shed new light on the artistic career of Vincent Van Gogh, who is represented by more than 900 works on virtual display.

The highlight of the exhibition is the ‘Vincent’s Soul’ installation, which utilises large-scale video mapping to fully immerse visitors in the Dutch master’s art. This area is equipped with 70 projectors – calibrated using VIOSO 6 software and dozens of calibration cameras – which are used to create a immersive room with artworks mapped across 360° on the walls and floor.

Equally impressive technically is the ‘Vincent’s Land’ area, where the VIOSO team helped project Van Gogh’s works onto a 3D sculpture of the man himself – the first time a statue has been projection mapped in Vietnam.
The brief received was straightforward: “put video content everywhere,” recalls VIOSO’s senior AV project manager, Etienne Servant, who was be able to sprinkle projection magic on the Van Gogh Art Lighting Experience.

VIOSO handled the planning and design of the installation, including the lay-out of the projectors and cameras, media servers and signal distribution and provided the technical lay-outs to the exhibition for the installation. Then the team had to calibrate the projectors to achieve a seamless, perfectly warped and blended image stretching out across the full space and transferring knowledge to the client. Servant adds: “Then I came on the site to make the magic happen: using all of these projectors to create a unique immersive atmosphere.”

To create the desired atmosphere in ‘Vincent’s Soul’ and ‘Vincent’s Land’ required 25 calibration cameras, which Servant combined with VIOSO 6 auto-calibration software for projection mapping in the immersive room and on the Van Gogh statue. A compound of nine hardware VIOSO media servers running PIXERA handled content playback.

Although the Van Gogh Art Lighting Experience was seven years in the making, the technical team had just two months to complete the installation, in order to ensure the exhibition made its 9 December opening date. Mia Nguyen, CEO of First ITC, VIOSO’s partner on the Van Gogh Art Lighting Experience explains: “The timing was really short, as we had to open before Christmas to give the opportunity for everyone to come during the holidays. We started the technical integration in October – that’s Vietnamese efficiency!

Another challenge the installation faced were the logistical difficulties, particularly importing the equipment. “This was a real team effort from VIOSO and our side. Then, once everything was installed, we used the precious time of the VIOSO AV team to learn from them and be trained on the use of the equipment,” says Nguyen. “From beginning to the end, it was all about timing, and that goes for everyone: the builders, the painters, and, of course, the technical team… Without a tight turnaround from Raul Vandenberg and his team at VIOSO, this deadline would have been impossible.”

This installation marks both the largest immersive installation in Vietnam to date and the first time Vietnamese consumers could experience video mapping on a 3D sculpture. “Going on the other side of the world and transmitting knowledge to a very talented and excited team was also very motivating,” says Etienne Servant, VIOSO’s senior AV product manager.

The exhibitions ‘Vincent’s Soul’ and ‘Vincent’s Land’ showcased how technology helps storytelling, with 70 projectors calibrated using VIOSO 6 software and 25 calibration cameras, visitors are transported into the story of Vincet van Gogh.

Despite facing strict timelines and logistical challenges, the project team demonstrated exceptional adaptability through planning and execution. The team not only met but exceeded expectations, delivering an incredible immersive experience to visitors within a remarkably short time period.

Mia Nguyen, CEO of First ITC, VIOSO’s partner on the Van Gogh Art Lighting Experience, recalls the support offered by Servant and the VIOSO team, led by the company’s chief sales officer, Raul Vandenberg. “The VIOSO team answered all my questions and provided clear technical answers throughout preparation and installation process,” she says. “From plans to reality, VIOSO supported the project, both remotely and on site. In addition to the video projection, I had recommendations and help regarding audio, IT, lasers, lights, electricity… they gave me a really good overview on my planning and design so I was able to change an empty space into an immersive exhibition.”