May 05, 2014

Panasonic Powers 20 Video Artworks at the 19th Biennale of Sydney

Once given over to producing power, the Turbine Hall at Cockatoo Island of Australia lay dormant until a strange meeting of culture and nature unleashed its energy into the space. The imposing hall was almost dwarfed by a majestically scaled (12 x 6.75 m) waterfall cascading a massive sheet of rushing water down an entire end and filling the air with its deafening roar.

This natural phenomenon in the built environment is 'I AM THE RIVER' by artist Eva Koch, the video installation centrepiece of Australia's largest and most exciting contemporary visual arts festival; the 19th Biennale of Sydney. The artwork's title is taken from the essay 'A New Refutation of Time' by Jorge Luis Borges and its intention is to question our changing relationship to the natural environment, affected by rapid technological innovation.

This critically acclaimed work uses a state-of-the-art Panasonic PT-DZ21K 3-chip DLP projector, chosen for its exceptionally high brightness of 20,000 lumens (essential to combat the ambient lighting in the Turbine Shop at Cockatoo Island) and the 3-chip DLP technology that produces true-to-life colours. The result is a life-size visual and audio experience that recreates the awe-inspiring scale, grandeur and roar of an Icelandic waterfall.

In addition to 'I AM THE RIVER,' Panasonic's latest projectors and lenses have been used for 20 installations in this year's Biennale, bringing visions from renowned artists such as Ulla von Brandenburg and Pipilotti Rist into reality.

: List of all video artworks and projectors used at the Biennale

"Panasonic is proud to be a major partner of the 19th Biennale of Sydney," said Peter Huljich, Group Manager, Projectors and Flat Panel Displays, Panasonic Business Systems. "It's a unique opportunity that is enabling us to showcase the true scope of our projector technology to more than 600,000 art lovers."