As more and more projection mapping festivals make an appearance including Luma Arts Festival in Binghamton, New York, the Circle of Light Festival in Moscow and many others including Boston’s own Illuminus, Albuquerque has introduced its own—Lighten Up Albuquerque. Sponsored by Electric Playhouse, the City of Albuquerque and Epson, the month-long festival features artwork projected onto a different building each Friday night starting January 3rd and culminating with the opening of Electric Playhouse, a new, family-friendly interactive playhouse, on February 1st.
The city provided permitting for city-owned locations as well as other assistance, while Epson provided projection equipment including four large-venue, high-lumen projectors that were equipped with varying lenses to fit each locations’ needs. Epson also provided technical assistance.
Utilizing the unique architecture of buildings such as the historic KiMo Theatre and the Albuquerque Balloon Museum, local artists will project their digital artwork using projection mapping technology to transform the structures. Electric Playhouse, who organized the event, says the festival is focused around the Winter Solstice with light coming back and hopes the festival will expand in 2021.
