LIG HT OF CR EATION EM EA
VIENNA / AUSTRIA
O ne of the Au s t r i a n c a pi t a l ’ s mos t s igni f i c a n t l a n d m a r k s , t h is m onu m e n t a l c h u r c h h a s becom e th e s i t e f o r a n e w i m m er s ive s h o w t h a t b r i n g s its a ud ience o n a j o u r n e y t h r o ug h t h e b ir th o f o u r u n i v e r s e . Photos: Fabian S k a la .
Pictured through o u t : V i enna ’ s V oti v k i rc h e i l luminat ed wit h proj ec ti on m a ppi n g b y MP-ST UDIO , t elling th e s tory of E ar t h’s firs t days .
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V E N U E - E M E A | WWW.M O ND O D R .CO M
Within its relatively short 30-minute runtime, the Light of Creation experience transforms Vienna’s Votivkirche, or Votive Church, into an interpretation of the dawn of time. Through an audio and visual arrangement reliant on carefully designed acoustic and projection systems, visitors are taken through an ethereal, abstract narrative, showcasing the Big Bang, the genesis of first life, and the formation of Earth’s elements. Projection-mapped planets and beams of light animate the building’s neo-Gothic architecture, set to an original orchestral score that delivers a fully immersive sensory experience. The Votive Church was built in the 19th century, meticulously restored in recent years, and now plans to host Light of Creation for a minimum of five years. This exhibition came to fruition when Max Emanuel Cenčić, an internationally renowned opera singer and now the Production & Artistic Director of Light of Creation, contemplated how he could blend classical music with modern technology. Cenčić’s project began by assembling a team of artists and audiovisual experts who could share his vision of exploring celestial themes and existential questions through light and sound. Among the earliest to join the effort was Parnassus Immersive, led by Stefan Treske. This exhibition is particularly significant for Treske, as it