Creating A High-End Transformative Experience
BART KRESA studio is a premiere projection mapping company that specializes in developing oneof- a-kind experiences around the world. Here, Bart Kresa, tells us more.
Tell us more about how you started off in the projection artwork/mapping industry, and how it has evolved over the years for you?
Bart Kresa: I was born in Warsaw, and grew up studying classical music. When I was 21, I moved to LA, and was attending a school of photography. During school, I met a teacher who was creating installations with multiple slide projectors. So, I was already familiar with projections as art in galleries.
I started to develop an interest in photography, and this eventually led me back to projections. In the basement of my first house in LA, I built a small studio with four slide projectors and electronic instruments. Then, I started experimenting.
My first architectural projection piece was in 1995. I was invited to work on a project with artists from San Francisco and Italy for Arte Multi Visione in Italy. Over the next ten years, my personal art passion developed into bigger and bigger projects.
In 2006, I started my company, BARTKRESA studio, and worked on my first really big project, Gift of Angels, at Universal Studios Japan. Since then, I have travelled the world, worked on many different and inspiring projects. In December, I took a team of more than twenty people to India to create a show that had 90 projectors for a two-night-only event. That was exciting.
In February, I started an academy for projection design in Poland. We have four students from three countries, and I love getting to pass along the knowledge and experience that I have gained. I truly love this medium.
What is the key foundation in the curation process with your clients? How do you piece it with your inspiration and creativity?
Bart Kresa: Our goal is to create a high-end transformative experience, and we never want to settle for anything less. As a philosophy, we challenge ourselves to make every project original. We never want to do the same thing twice. I also challenge myself and my studio to stay on the edge, learn new things, and explore new ideas.
For the last few years, we have been exploring 360degree projection-mapped sculpture. Our newest piece, Sviatovid, is a 15-foot-tall sculpture that is designed and built with a library of amazing, musically driven animation. What were the key challenges you faced when setting up these shows, in particular how did you solve outdoor venue problems vs indoors?
Bart Kresa: We have certain power, the Internet, and time requirements for our installations that do not always match the resources present, or the schedule that the client has in mind. As a result, I have developed two production trailers that we take on site with us.
We still need power and the Internet on site, but we try to bring everything else that we need to install and adjust the projections in as efficient and minimally invasive a way as possible. This allows us to work with the constraints of the location, and to be as flexible as possible. Tell us why have you chosen to speak at InfoComm India 2019, and where do you see major opportunities for projection mapping in this region (South Asia/ MidEast)?
Bart Kresa: I appreciate Avixa’s dedication to bringing awareness to all of the facets within the AV industry. Even though projection mapping has existed for a long time, this medium is still unfamiliar to many people. I appreciate the opportunity to share the artform that I love with my peers.
Both in this region, and around the globe, we are entering into the experience economy. I see projections are the perfect tool for creating unique, immersive experiences. My outlook on our industry is that we are beginning a golden age of projection.
What will be the key takeaway by the audience attending your keynote address?
Bart Kresa: The presentation will give an overview of our studio’s approach to design. I will use some of our projects as case studies, showing the application of the history of projection mapping, and principles of design thinking in our development and design process.