MGNTRN (pronounced [MAGNOTRON]), Romain Tardy’s latest project, is an immersive, largescale
audiovisual installation mixing projection mapping, physical laser-cut structures
used as a projection canvas, and various types of LEDs to create a unique multi-sensorial
experience. Believe it or not, there’s even a tiny robot physically operating the LEDs from
a pretty massive Ferris wheel.

Inspired by psychedelic sci-fi references from the 70’s like Sun-Ra’s movie “Space is the
place” MGNTRN invites the public to an imaginary journey through space and time. An intense
physical experience with a multi-channel video setup and 8-channel soundtrack composed by
electronic music producer Squeaky Lobster.

The name of the piece itself, MGNTRN [MAGNOTRON], comes from a space-themed pinball created
by the American manufacturer Gottlieb in 1974, and illustrated by Gordon Morison, who made
some of the most iconic pinball backglass drawings in the 1970’s.
Starfields, black holes, kawai characters and retrofuturistic spaceships as well as vintage
arcade games are the haunting spirits of this outdoor audiovisual installation where the
sky is the limit.

This installation was developed as a site specific project for Proyecta Digital Arts and
Design Festival 2014, that took place in Puebla, Mexico from the 9th to the 11th of June.
Proyecta, as the eponym design and digital arts platform, was the producer of the piece.

ESPAÑOL /
MGNTRN (pronunciado [MAGNOTRON]), el más reciente proyecto de Romain Tardy es una instalación
audiovisual inmersiva de gran escala que combina la técnica de proyección en mapping sobre
estructuras realizadas con corte láser empleadas como canvas y diferentes tipos de luces de
LED para crear una experiencia multi-sensorial. Aunque parezca inverosímil, incluso se creó
un pequeño robot que físicamente operaba el sistema de luces de la gran rueda de la fortuna.
Inspirada en referencias psicodélicas de ciencia ficción de los 70 como la película de Sun-Ra
“Space is the place” MGNTRN invita al público a un viaje imaginario a través del tiempo y
el espacio. Una intensa experiencia física a través de múltiples canales de audio y video
como parte central del montaje de la pieza.
El nombre de la pieza misma MGNTRN [MAGNOTRON], viene de un juego de pinball con motivos
espaciales creado por la empresa norteamericana Gottlieb en 1974 y que fue ilustrado por
Gordon Morrison, quien creó algunos de los más icónicos diseños de pinball durante la
década de 1970. Campos de estrellas, hoyos negros, personajes kawai en naves espaciales
retrofuturistas combinadas con juegos de arcade son los espíritus que habitan esta instalación
audiovisual.

Fue desarrollada como una pieza de sitio específico para Proyecta Festival de Diseño y
Artes Digitales 2014 que tuvo lugar en Puebla, México. Proyecta como plataforma también
fungió como productor de la pieza.


Original concept, design and animation  :  ROMAIN TARDY http://romaintardy.com
Music  :  SQUEAKY LOBSTER
Software development & engineering : MAYA BENAINOUS / CYRIL LAURIER 
Production : PROYECTA http://proyecta.org
Executive producer  :  CARMEN ORTEGA CASANOVAS
Proyecta creative director  :  MANUEL ALCALÁ
Production coordinator  :  SAMUEL RIVERA TOVAR

VIDEO:
Director of Photography  :  VICENTE POUSO

Executive Production  :  ARCA 

Proyecta Puebla, Mexico. 2014.

PROYECTA presents  :   MGNTRN

[PROYECTA presents : MGNTRN](http://vimeo.com/111154874) from [Proyecta](http://vimeo.com/user27050857) on [Vimeo](https://vimeo.com).

With _MGNTRN _(pronounced "Magnotron"), French new-media artist [Romain Tardy](http://www.romaintardy.com/) has pushed the limits of video mapping by transforming a giant ferris wheel and its surrounding environment into a field of dynamic projection mapping. The immersive and intense audio-visual performance was inspired by an visual and sound imaginary straight out of sci-fi and technology from the 70's&#x2014;think "starfields, black holes, kawaii characters, and retrofuturistic spaceships, as well as vintage arcade games," Tardy says in the project's description&#x2014;and merges video mapping, lighting design, and even "a tiny robot physically operating the LEDs," with an impressive 8-channel electronic soundtrack from [Squeaky Lobster](http://squeakylobster.net/).

[We were dumbstruck](http://bit.ly/1Ekr5iI) last May when _MGNTRN_, named after a space-themed pinball machine built in 1974 by Gottlieb, was presented for [PROYECTA](http://proyecta.org/), a new media festival in Puebla, Mexico. Today, Tardy offers up the online premiere of a breathtaking 10-minute video presentation of _MGNTRN_ last weekend at the [TAGDF festival](http://www.arca-lab.com) in Mexico, and at the [KIKK festival](http://www.kikk.be/2014/) in Belgium.

Watch _MGNTRN_ above, and check-out a few never-before-seen images below:

[Click here](http://www.romaintardy.com/MGNTRN-MX) to learn more about Romain Tardy's _MGNTRN_.

Original concept, design and animation : ROMAIN TARDY

Software development & engineering : MAYA BENAINOUS / CYRIL LAURIER

Executive producer : CARMEN ORTEGA CASANOVAS

Proyecta creative director : MANUEL ALCALÁ

Production coordinator : SAMUEL RIVERA TOVAR

_[An Artist Is Projection-Mapping Astonishing Visuals On A Giant Ferris Wheel In Mexico](http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/an-artist-is-projection-mapping-astonishing-visuals-on-to-a-giant-ferris-wheel)_

_[\[Video Premiere\] Antivj Turn Cacti Into Jutting Stalks Of Light](http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/video-premiere-antivjs-the-ark-touches-down-in-mexico)_

_[Paganism Gets A Minimalist, Projection Mapped Makeover](http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/paganism-gets-a-minimalist-projection-mapped-makeover)_

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Tardy's massive video-mapped ferris wheel offers a mind-blowing audiovisual experience set to an 8-channel soundtrack from Squeaky Lobster. 

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[Video Premiere] | 'MGNTRN,' Romain Tardy's Projection-Mapped Ferris Wheel

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[Video Premiere] | 'MGNTRN,' Romain Tardy's Projection-Mapped Ferris Wheel

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