Commercial Integrator February 2023 - 32

DVLED Digital Art
THE FUTURE
IS BRILLIANT
Digital art is proliferating across the world, with DVLED
displays providing a canvas for stunning artistic magic.
By Dan Ferrisi
THE COVID-19 pandemic was a revelatory
period for many of us: It reminded people
how much we love gathering with others
in public spaces. But in a world dotted
with economic anxiety, partisan rancor,
health worries and geopolitical strife, we,
as humans, also crave beauty and wonder
more than we ever have before. The nexus
of those two forces is digital art, a creative
endeavor that leverages technology to
deliver powerful, evocative artistic works
that, most oſt en, people experience
together in communal settings.
Here, we explore this ascendant artform
by drawing on the wisdom of Nicholas
Lynch, executive creative director, and Peter
Sapienza, CEO, both of content specialist
CFIRE Inc.; Chris Conte, executive consultant
with experiential integrator Electrosonic;
and Mike Sabia, director, Client Service
Group, with DVLED specialist SNA Displays.
Upliſt and Inspire
If a single word could describe the last
three years, it would be " draining. " And
although it's exciting to see the progress
that DVLEDs have made in recent years, the
sheer number of advertising-centric screens
can sometimes be overwhelming. " I think
there's a subconscious need for content
that's not just bombardment of the senses, "
Sabia states. Lynch echoes this, observing
that displays used solely for advertising
want something from you (i.e., they want
you to try a product), which can make some
viewers numb. " We're trying to reverse that
32
trend, " Lynch declares. Indeed, the heart of
digital art is to create something that is upliſt
ing and inspiring...something that gives
rather than takes. That's one reason why
digital signage operators in Times Square
have graciously volunteered their screens
every night, for a few minutes, to participate
in the world's largest digital-art gallery:
Midnight Moment.
Evoking emotion aligns perfectly with
integrators' role not as technology outfi tters
but, rather, as experience creators and
storytellers. " The idea of the storytelling is
so critical, " Sapienza underscores. " But it
can't just be sensory overload, or digital
pollution, or an insult to the senses. There
is a subtlety in storytelling. " True digital art
emerges when a project team successfully
marries a creative artist's inspiring vision
with the technology tools that develop a
canvas for the artist to bring their creation
to reality. And the storytelling truly comes
alive when guests experience it...when
they draw in a deep breath and have that
Wow! moment. Conte captures this spirit
perfectly, saying one question, above all,
should shape client conversations: " What
do you want your guests to feel when they
walk into this space? "
Salesforce Stuns
Salesforce West at 50 Fremont St. in San
Francisco is a prime example of digital art
come alive in a corporate setting. It also
happens to be where SNA Displays met
Lynch and Sapienza, whose fi rm, CFIRE,
Commercial Integrator FEBRUARY 2023
The heart of digital art is to
create something that is upliſt ing
and inspiring...something that
gives rather than takes.
emerged from creative studio Obscura
Digital. Lynch and Sapienza forged a bond
with the digital display specialist as they
were working to install servers to drive
content for the stunning DVLED display
installed in Salesforce West's lobby. An enveloping
106 feet long and nearly 13 feet
high, the videowall, which comes from
SNA Displays' BOLD Interior line, features
a tight four-millimeter pixel pitch and a
total pixel count of about 6.4 million. Even
more dazzling, the elevator cutouts allow
the display to complement the
Gensler-designed architecture, further
heightening the artistic potential.
The content is what really gives the
Salesforce West application its power.
From lush, green forests; to clouddotted
vistas with views of the Golden
Gate Bridge; to eye-catching, parchmentcolored
old maps, the images immediately
capture lobby visitors' attention and ignite
imagination. The most stunning content,
however, is a simulation waterfall breaking
over the elevator bays, with the water
cascading around the cutout and sloshing
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Commercial Integrator February 2023

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