Digital Projection creates a 360° canvas for 'Vincent meets Rembrandt'’

The installation of 38 powerful laser projectors Digital Projection, along with audio equipment Fohhn and the management of multimedia servers Vioso, they configure the visual and plot thread of this immersive exhibition.

Located between the streets of the Jordaan neighborhood of Amsterdam is Noorderkerk, a 17th century Protestant church that stands out for its design and architectural beauty, whose environment has been transformed in recent months into a hypnotic environment of 360° colors thanks to the use of 38 laser projectors of Digital Projection to show the history of how the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn inspired the best works of Vincent van Gogh.

The exhibition Vincent meets Rembrandt: the untold story (Vincent y Rembrandt: the untold story) will continue to captivate visitors until 2027 with its impressive audiovisual spectacle, that combines in detail incredible visual elements with the narration of Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo.

The idea of ​​creating a immersive experience about the important role and influence that Rembrandt played in Vincent's artistic process was conceived by Hennie Jaspers y Marcel Vos, in collaboration with Bart van Bokhoven, owner and creative director of the Dutch audiovisual integration agency Pronoun.

“We started six years ago with a concept,” explains Van Bokhoven., after reading Van Gogh's diaries and the letters he wrote to his brother Theo, in which he explains how much he admired Rembrandt's work, the lights and colors that the artist used and his way of painting. That's what inspired our narrative.".

To create an experience that fully encompasses these elements, Pronorm chose the Noorderkerk church as the location, since both Van Gogh and Rembrandt practiced their faith in it, although two hundred years apart.

The objective was to guide visitors through history through immersive images and audio. Digital Projection projectors were essential to achieve this, since they realistically show the paintings and sketches of both artists, while a voice in the background reads Van Gogh's letters, giving them life.

To visually convey the connection between the two artists, The integrator needed reliable, maintenance-free projectors, due to the duration of the project and the absence of a technician on site.

Van Bokhoven had already worked with Digital Projection equipment: “I have already set up some installations with their equipment and they have never given me a single problem.”. For an installation as large as this I needed projectors that I could trust like theirs”.

Laser projectors are used for installation E-Vision 11000 4K-UHD, E-Vision 10K, E-Vision 8500 y M-Vision r 21000 WU 1-DLP de Digital Projection, all of them recognized in the market for their reliability and minimal maintenance requirements.

The image quality and brightness of these projectors reinforced this choice by Pronorm, that needed a consistent output across all projectors to ensure each visitor had an equally impactful experience.

“We also had to ensure that the pixel size and light output of all projectors were basically the same, so that all visitors could perceive in the same way the untold story of Van Gogh and Rembrandt”, puntualiza Van Bokhoven.

As he adds Fred Meyer, regional sales director in Benelux at Digital Projection, The good collaboration between the manufacturer and the integrator was another compelling reason for choosing the projectors “Van Bokhoven contacted us directly, without intermediaries. For us it is very important to have close lines of communication, because when our clients have a question they need answers immediately”.

In addition to the 38 Laser projectors from Digital Projection to display impressive content on the ceiling, the walls and floor of the church, Pronorm has incorporated twelve active columns of speakers DLI-130, with spread beams and five subwoofers AS-ss ASX from the German audio manufacturer Fohhn, as well as seven servidores multimedia Anystation Media 4K of Vioso.

MP-Studio, specialist in content creation and projection mapping, has played a fundamental role in crafting a unique plot thread and converting it into a set of visually striking images, with the production of seven different films, each one projected in a specific place in the church.

to get it, This company created a comprehensive content preview for the entire story line before dividing it into seven segments, which were subsequently sent to the projectors via Vioso media servers.

Most of the content is projected onto the church's expanded walls. However, the presence of pillars, columns and intricate details posed an added difficulty. To overcome these obstacles, Pronorm decided to project the main video content on walls, ceiling and floor and use the columns to create an effect of Ambilight backlight.

This is how Van Bokhoven explains the importance of this approach: “The Ambilight lighting projected on these details helps a lot to enhance the immersive experience”.

Another interesting challenge the integrators faced was finding a way to discreetly install the equipment to preserve the sanctity of the Noorderkerk temple., which even today continues to be a place of worship where weddings and masses are celebrated on weekends.

“We had to place the projection and audio equipment strategically, so that it would be hidden from those who went to church - adds Van Bokhoven -. In the end it was very complicated, because we had to create a semi-mobile facility that followed the rules imposed by the temple's board of directors”.

The solution to this challenge was to raise 23 meters the technical equipment down some narrow stairs (60×60 cm) and place it in the attic of the church. Twelve projectors were installed on the floor and twenty-six on the ceiling.

All the cabling, hidden in sight, They are distributed from the attic to the floor and the anchoring points of the Digital Projection projectors, ensuring a flawless and discreet installation.

“Thanks to the support of our partners we have done an incredible job: everything works perfectly. When I read the opinions of visitors, It is evident that they identify with the story and are captivated by the impressive visual experience, and that is due to the discretion and reliability of Digital Projection laser projectors”, concludes.