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Christie Pandoras Box brings pottery project to life

December 07, 2017

Award-winning hardware and software maximize efficiency to enable the creation of amazing visual experiences

CYPRESS, Calif. - Christie® has joined forces with Ideum, maker of custom interactive exhibits, to bring an experimental pottery project to life with the Exploring Pueblo Pottery Project. Christie Pandoras Box is the media server behind the complex wrapping and projection mapping onto oversized pottery, allowing users to experience Acoma artisan designs that highlight key elements of pueblo life, while learning about the art, history and culture of pueblo peoples of the American Southwest.

Ideum worked closely with UNM instructor and potter Clarence Cruz and artist Michelle Lowden of Milo Creations to design an experience that allows users to investigate these intricate designs powered by Christie Pandoras Box.

"The ability to integrate the lighting commands into the timeline allowed us to customize the lighting display for each piece of art, creating dynamic lighting. It was really cool that we could work live-in-real-time on the pot that made blending the projections a lot easier on a complex spherical form,” said Morgan Barnard, digital artist, Ideum. “The interface in Pandoras Box was very approachable for me, as a motion graphics artist. Warping an object of this size and shape was very challenging, but the warp workflow of Pandoras Box helped us complete the custom exhibit.”

The project included a Pandoras Box Quad Server, four conference room projectors, and a 34-inch multi-touch table powered by a PC. The Ideum team leveraged the Pandoras Box SDK to make calls directly to the Pandoras Box Manager.

Chris Steinmetz, senior technician and hardware specialist at Ideum, added: “While we originally used competitive projectors, as of today we have four Christie DWU700-GS projectors on order so that we can showcase this project and others with a full complement of Christie gear."

“Christie Pandoras Box delivers the tools for artists to be creative without limits,” said Joel St-Denis, product manager, Christie. “We’re proud to offer an intuitive product that empowers customers to create exciting and innovative content such as the Exploring Pueblo Pottery Project.”

About Ideum

For more than 17 years, Ideum has excelled in creating compelling, technology-based interactive experiences for visitors around the world. Ideum has worked with innovative aquariums and science centers, history museums, world-renowned art museums and cultural organizations, along with unique public spaces and iconic corporate brands. Visit http://www.ideum.com/

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