GLAMi nomination: Ingenia

“Ingenia sets the stage for curious passersby and visitors to rediscover the museum by illuminating the exhibitions and artifacts from its collection.”

Fern Proulx, Acting CEO, Ingenium

At the newly renovated Canada Science and Technology Museum, we have turned the 75-metre long façade into a projection screen that comes alive at night. The first media to be featured here is a dazzling piece developed by the National Film Board, entitled Ingenia (directed by Philippe Baylaucq), that tackles an array of scientific and technological themes in highly visual and engaging fashion.

The Film

Ingenia is a three minute long large-scale video, projected on the façade of the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. When the sun goes down, a highly visual looping array of scientific and technological concepts, crafted using video, images, and sound, are presented in overlapping sequences flowing across the façade’s vast canvas. People take notice, sometimes parking in the museum’s lot to watch the show unfold.

The NFB looked to the Museum’s vast collection, along with natural elements, colour, geography, and time, to create this circular tale that connects history with the present in a testimony to scientific curiosity and human ingenuity.

Background

The new building and impressive entranceway are far removed from September 2014, when the old Canada Science and Technology Museum building was abruptly closed due to a mould issue. Within two months, the initial shock turned to excitement—a new building and exhibits would allow us to completely reimagine ourselves, and incorporate exciting new experiences and technologies. This fresh start gave birth to this amazing large scale projection project.

Impact

The main impact of this project was to provide an awe-inspiring entrance to a newly revived national museum. It gives visitors a taste of what to expect inside—new, up-to-date experiences and engaging content. Visitors often stand outside to watch the show.