In Motion – Art & Football

The In Motion – Art & Football exhibition at the German Football Museum is a state-of-the-art multimedia installation that seamlessly integrates projection mapping, high-resolution LED displays, kinetic elements, and immersive audio to create a dynamic and engaging experience.

Beyond its technological excellence, this project stands out for its sustainability and long-term adaptability. Unlike temporary immersive experiences, the AV infrastructure was designed for reuse, allowing the technology to be repurposed for future exhibitions, live performances, corporate events, and digital showcases.

The visual installation of In Motion – Art & Football is a cutting-edge projection mapping system designed to create an immersive and dynamic environment. Spanning 1,000 square meters, the exhibition utilises 23 high-resolution Epson projectors, strategically placed to deliver stunning visuals with UHD resolution and exceptional detail fidelity.

The main installation features two large projection surfaces, measuring 17.5 meters and 26.5 meters in width, alongside four smaller screens (each 2.3m x 6.3m). The projections are seamlessly blended using Softedge technology, ensuring smooth transitions between visuals. Advanced Warping correction is applied to counteract distortions on the irregularly shaped surfaces.

One of the standout elements is the 22-meter-long “Painter’s Palette”, brought to life through seven synchronized projections. The installation also includes a 5.1m x 4.2m projected sketchbook, created with two synchronised projectors, offering a live-drawing effect.

To accommodate different projection surfaces and ensure a consistent look and feel, the system employs color and brightness calibration across all outputs. Masking techniques are used to adapt the visuals to unique geometries, such as the curved edges of the “Painter’s Palette.”

A high-resolution LED wall in the Digital Gallery displays artworks in their original size, adding another layer to the experience. Additionally, three suspended Plexiglas spheres, each housing Tipp-Kick figures, descend during the show to integrate physical elements into the digital environment.

The entire system is controlled via Coolux media servers, which manage real-time projection mapping, synchronisation, and color correction. The setup allows for smooth playback of animated content, enhancing the dynamism of the exhibition.

By utilising a combination of large-scale projection mapping, precise image correction, and high-resolution LED technology, the installation blurs the boundaries between digital and physical space, offering visitors a truly immersive experience that captures the movement and energy of football in an artistic context.

At its core, Coolux media servers handle real-time image processing and synchronization, ensuring flawless playback across multiple surfaces. With frame-accurate timing, the visual content smoothly transitions between projections, perfectly aligning with the immersive audio system. The 23 high-resolution Epson projectors use Softedge blending, Warping, and Masking to project crisp, distortion-free images onto various surfaces, including curved and angled walls. Automated color and brightness calibration guarantees a uniform visual output across all elements.

A highlight of the exhibition is the 22-meter-long “Painter’s Palette”, animated through seven synchronized projections, and the 5.1m x 4.2m digital sketchbook, which simulates live drawing. Complementing these, a high-resolution LED wall in the Digital Gallery displays artworks in original size and stunning detail, while ten interactive touchscreens with headphones provide deeper insights into the artistic and historical context.

Adding a physical dimension to the digital space, three motorized Plexiglas spheres, each containing Tipp-Kick figures, lower into the exhibition during key moments, reinforcing the connection between art and football. The 45-speaker Dante audio system is tightly integrated with the media servers, creating spatialized soundscapes that adjust dynamically to visitor movement, ensuring an immersive audiovisual experience.

All elements are centrally controlled via an automated media system, allowing seamless operation with pre-programmed show loops. Remote access enables real-time monitoring, troubleshooting, and content updates, ensuring long-term stability and adaptability.

Through the combination of intelligent projection mapping, interactive digital displays, kinetic installations, and spatial audio, In Motion – Art & Football redefines how digital storytelling enhances art exhibitions, offering visitors a truly immersive and multi-sensory journey.

The immersive exhibition In Motion – Art & Football does not rely solely on visuals but also on a carefully designed acoustic experience. The specially developed audio installation plays a key role in merging artworks with the dynamics of football, creating a unique multisensory experience.

The sound design is based on a complex, immersive audio system featuring 45 strategically placed speakers throughout the exhibition space. Various types of speakers—including eight mounted speakers, four pendant speakers, and four subwoofers from Audac—ensure an even distribution of sound. A 16-channel Innosonix Dante audio amplifier powers the system.

Additionally, 25 Genelec PoE+ Dante active speakers are positioned beneath the large projection surfaces, seamlessly connecting image and sound. The projection of the digital sketchbook is enhanced by two dedicated LB speakers. Thanks to the 45 Dante audio channels from the media server, the sound fully envelops the space and dynamically adapts to the visitors’ position and movement.

The installation concept is designed to offer different acoustic perspectives depending on the visitor’s location in the exhibition. This means that as visitors move through the space, they experience new, carefully coordinated soundscapes.

By closely integrating visuals, space, and sound, the audio installation creates an atmosphere that artistically reflects the movement and energy of football. It plays a crucial role in the immersive impact of the exhibition, making a visit to the museum an intense and engaging experience for all senses.

The realisation of In Motion – Art & Football presented several technical and logistical challenges, requiring innovative solutions to ensure a seamless and immersive experience.

One of the primary challenges was integrating diverse projection surfaces of varying sizes, angles, and materials. Unlike traditional flat-screen projections, this installation required Softedge blending, Warping, and Masking techniques to ensure that images aligned perfectly across the two large projection areas (17.5m and 26.5m wide) and four smaller screens. Additionally, the 22-meter-long “Painter’s Palette” projection demanded precise calibration to maintain color uniformity and image accuracy.

The spatial audio system also posed complexities. With 45 strategically placed speakers, including 25 Genelec PoE+ Dante units and a 16-channel Innosonix amplifier, the challenge was to create a soundscape that dynamically adapted to visitor movement while maintaining audio clarity. The system required meticulous tuning to prevent sound overlap and ensure that each projection had a corresponding audio cue.

Another major challenge was the synchronisation of multiple media technologies. The installation combines 23 high-resolution projectors, LED walls, interactive touchscreens, kinetic elements, and an advanced audio system. Ensuring real-time synchronisation across these components demanded precise programming via Coolux media servers. The content had to be dynamically adjusted to maintain seamless transitions without latency or distortion.

From a structural standpoint, the integration of kinetic elements—such as the three motorized Plexiglas spheres containing Tipp-Kick figures—introduced mechanical complexities. These elements needed to descend at specific moments without interfering with projections or disrupting the immersive environment.

Additionally, the project had to balance aesthetic considerations with technical constraints. The immersive experience required the media hardware to be inconspicuous, meaning that projectors, speakers, and mounting structures had to be carefully positioned to maintain the artistic integrity of the space.

Despite these challenges, the team successfully engineered an exhibition that blends cutting-edge projection mapping, immersive sound, and kinetic elements, setting a new benchmark for digital storytelling in museum experiences.

The 7.2m LED wall, interactive touchscreens, and projection-mapped surfaces can be reprogrammed to display entirely new content without additional hardware investments. This modular approach extends the system’s lifecycle, reducing electronic waste and unnecessary resource consumption.

The installation is also energy-efficient, using LED technology and projectors with low power consumption, maximizing operational sustainability while maintaining vibrant image quality. The automated media system ensures that all devices power on and off only as needed, minimizing energy use when the exhibition is inactive.

With its technical ingenuity, immersive storytelling, and sustainable design, In Motion – Art & Football is more than just an exhibition—it is a groundbreaking model for future museum experiences.

By merging the worlds of art, sport, and technology, this project not only captivates audiences but also sets a new standard for how digital media can transform cultural spaces. Its innovative, scalable, and environmentally conscious approach makes it a deserving winner of the MONDO-DR Award.