Coolture Impact: interactive video art comes to Times Square with Leyard's Led technology

The thousands of visitors who visit this dynamic space in New York are now an active part of the stories shown in this interactive LED installation.

When people from all over the world visit New York's iconic Times Square, the impact is assured with its numerous digital screens, street artists and hustle and bustle. Now this visual space has added a unique video art installation in which visitors are an active part of it..

Located on the southwest corner of 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, Twelve ground-level windows at the Port Authority of New York Bus Terminal have been transformed into Coolture Impact, an interactive video wall installation designed with technology sensitive to people's movement.

These dozen digital windows, of 2 meters high, show images of Laia Cabrera & Co, formed by the Spanish filmmaker Laia Cabrera and the French animator Isabelle Duverger, that can be seen until next 24 November, and which will be followed by others.

Dynamic technological environment for large audiences

A motion-sensing camera tracking system allows passersby to bring artistic and digital canvases to life with their own hand movements, which translates onto the screen as a creative representation that captures the audience's gestures.

This technological environment, in which motion-sensitive artworks can be delivered to mass audiences, It is designed with an interactive framework software system developed by interactive installation specialist NoirFlux and a ZED 3D depth and motion sensing camera Stereolabs, developer of solutions for stereoscopic environments in broadcast and cinema.

Specific responses to Coolture Impact's featured artwork programming are displayed in real time across the series' Led screens. Leyard HST, with an ultra-fine pixel pitch of 2,5 mm, with compact LED cabinets that provide an exact fit for any video wall size or configuration, for an application 24/7 with high image quality.

Development of interactive art for public spaces

The initiative for this installation comes from Coolture, specialized in cultural and branding events in emblematic spaces, both public and private. With the support of the Port Authority of New York, this company has assembled a team of video artists, filmmakers, interactive designers, software developers and engineers to create this unique installation, produced by the non-profit organization Cultural Semiotic Alliance (CSA), which aims to develop interactive art for public spaces.

This space in front of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, where they pass more than 250.000 travelers and tourists every day, It was an ideal environment for this dynamic installation. “It is a very busy and little urbanized urban area.. Our intention was to provide a visual and interactive respite for the hundreds of thousands of people who pass through that iconic stretch of Times Square and revitalize the area., creating a positive impact through interactive art”, explains Ana Calvo de Luis, Founder and CEO of Coolture.

Spanish artistic creativity

The first interactive installation on the video wall of Coolture Impact has been The Now, by Laia Cabrera & Co, that offers a journey to magical worlds, hidden spaces and participatory environments with animated stories, where people can get involved with their movements, advancing narratives through interaction.

“Leyard's LED screens in video wall configuration have the appropriate brightness for visibility during the day, and at night the installation looks simply incredible -adds the Coolture manager-. This is an example of how we can create social impact and a truly immersive experience by combining art with cutting-edge technologies.. “Art is language and technology is the means to communicate it.”.