Even if you’re not religious, you’re probably familiar with the baroque architecture and music typically associated with the Christian church—ethereal organ pipes, angelic choirs, and perhaps even a few gospel voices.Czech projection mapping collective the Macula project has blended these two characteristics in Archifon I, an interactive light and sound installation inside the Olomouc Baroque de-baptized chapel in the Czech Republic.The music and projections found within this prodigious, virtual musical instrument are triggered by laser pointers and up to 10 people at once can experiment with over 100 elements of different audiovisual intensity. Angel statues start singing when the laser point finds them, while grazing over one of the many paintings provokes a new soundscape. Slide up and down the pillars for effects, and find the drum machine hidden in the pillar’s capitals. Other statues “break apart” as the laser finds them, and windows relay tones of different instruments.What’s great about this installation is the inherent element of surprise and discovery that emerge while “playing” the architecture. It’s also exciting to see each decorative object come alive with a whole purpose—in addition to the object’s religious significance.Watch the video and marvel in the project’s splendor. We can assure you this is one church you won’t fall asleep in.To see more on the Macula project, check out their website and Vimeo.@packyouralex
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