Projectors light up Mumbai’s historic Afghan Church

Images courtesy of Synergy Technologies

MUMBAI – Christie^® helped bring Ascension, a breathtaking projection mapping experience presented by Floating Canvas Company (FCC) and Synergy Technologies, to life at Mumbai’s historic Afghan Church during the recent Mumbai Light Festival in August.

The installation transformed the interior of the 19th-century Gothic landmark – officially known as Church of St. John the Evangelist – into an immersive canvas of celestial imagery, animated light and vibrant colors. To deliver the experience, Synergy Technologies deployed eight Jazz Series DWU2400-JS projectors, six HS Series D23WU-HS 1DLP laser projectors, and a Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projector. The Griffyn 4K50-RGB was selected to project onto the church’s central wall, the primary focal point of the show, where its exceptional brightness and pixel density delivered striking visual impact. The DWU2400-JS projectors illuminated the side walls and architectural features, while the D23WU-HS projectors were used for projections across the church’s expansive overhead surfaces.

Marking the first projection mapping installation inside a Grade I heritage structure in Mumbai, Ascension transformed the church’s soaring arches, vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows with visuals inspired by a journey from Earth to the cosmos, while respecting the character of the historic place of worship.

“The objective was never to overpower the architecture, but to work in harmony with it,” said Chirag Patel, founder of Synergy Technologies. “Every theme, motif and animation sequence was carefully developed to complement the church’s architectural details and allow the space itself to remain the anchor of the experience. We wanted audiences to appreciate the beauty of the building while becoming immersed in a visual journey through light and color.”

Chirag added, “Because the church remains an active place of worship, restraint was a key design consideration. Instead of filling every surface with constant motion, we allowed moments of pause and focused attention on individual architectural details. This gave visitors time to appreciate the beauty of the space while becoming immersed in the experience.”

Creating the installation required extensive planning and precision mapping. FCC conducted a detailed survey of the church and developed multiple digital masks to accurately map content onto the venue’s complex interior surfaces. The Griffyn 4K50-RGB and DWU2400-JS projectors were mounted on a truss at the rear of the church, and configured in portrait mode to provide optimal coverage of the side walls. The D23WU-HS projectors were installed along the church’s center aisle to project visuals across the vaulted ceilings.

The stained-glass windows presented a unique challenge, as glass naturally transmits rather than reflects light. FCC addressed this by carefully incorporating the color, texture and varying thickness of the stained glass into the visual design, enabling these distinctive elements to become an organic part of the overall presentation.

Rather than presenting visuals on an exterior façade, the installation unfolded around the audience, placing visitors at the center of the story. Clouds, stars and drifting light moved seamlessly across the church’s interior, creating moments of wonder and reflection while drawing attention to features that are often overlooked.

“FCC has once again demonstrated how projection mapping can transform spaces into extraordinary storytelling environments,” said Rishubh Nayar, ProAV sales director for India, Christie. “The successful realization of Ascension inside one of Mumbai’s most treasured heritage landmarks underscores the versatility, brightness and color performance of our projection technologies. We are delighted that FCC trusted Christie solutions to bring this unique experience to life and create a memorable visual spectacle for festival audiences.”