Video and audio system for the exhibition "The Cleaner" by Marina Abramović at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade

The Museum of Contemporary Art was founded with the aim of collecting, preserving, maintaining and researching significant works of art created after 1900 in the former Yugoslavia, Serbia and beyond. Since its foundation in 1965, the Museum has based its exhibition policy on the presentation of the most important artists, periods, movements and tendencies of contemporary art of the 20th and 21st centuries.

  • Client: The Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Date of project: 2019

The exhibition "The Cleaner" by Marina Abramović at the Museum of Contemporary Art is the first major European retrospective of this world-famous artist, which chronologically reviews all of the phases of her fifty-year long career, starting from works from the early 1960s to the present. The public will be able to visit this significant exhibition for four months, from September 21st, 2019 to January 20th, 2020.

The exhibition had an impact on our company as well. By successfully participating in the tender, AVL Projekt was given the task to deliver, install and put into operation the most modern video and audio system installed in one of the most complex installations so far that was necessary for the realization of the exhibition.

 

The installation and outing to operation included video projectorsprofessional LCD monitorsmultimedia players and active dual-system speakers, as well as auxiliary equipment.

The latest generation of SONY laser video projectors included models with different light output: VPL-FHZ58 with 4200lm, VPL-PHZ10  with 5000lm and VPL-FHZ66 with 6100lm.

Video projectors have been installed in different positions that follow the exhibition set defined by different elements. The resolution of the delivered video projectors is WUXGA (1920x1200). One of the most important requirements of the exhibition organizers was that the installed projectors would provide the possibility of projecting different multimedia content of different formats. Therefore, the supplied projectors have the option to change the format of the projected image (aspect ratio) 16:10, 16:9 and 4:3. The laser-phosphor light source has a working life of 20,000 hours.

In order to display images of different dimensions from different distances, we used different motorized lenses with a large lens shift, the final choice of which was confirmed by our expert team through the application of a Sony lens selection calculator.

The installed video projectors are able to operate in any position and orientation within 360°  which is extremely important because some of the projections required a floor projection in which the projector is positioned at a right angle related to the floor element of the exhibition. The contrast of the projector (full white/full black) is 500.000: 1.

They feature the curved surface projection function, as well as the Edge Blending required on one of the elements set where 3 images are displayed next to each other without a visible edge.

The maximum noise level produced by video projectors in standard mode is less than 36dB, which is another important feature due to the very nature of the exhibition.

The multimedia content of Marina Abramović's works is also displayed via 43" and 55" 4K professional LCD monitors, intended for work in 24/7 mode. They feature 505cd/m2 and 620cd/m2 brightness and a built-in USB media player for content playback. They also have a WiFi module and there is the possibility of control via IP or RS-232 protocol.

The built-in lock function prevents unauthorized external control of monitor parameters, whereas built-in sensor for automatic brightness adjustment regulates the operation mode depending on the amount of ambient light. The projector is also characterized by the possibility of operation in Pro mode.

Multimedia content (over 1300 works of various formats) is played via 4K/60Hz multimedia players that support various video, image and audio formats.

The control system manages the on/off function of the projector and monitors, as well as for the playback from the media player. It is delivered with the software for configuring system parameters and the control application. It is managed over a network that allows direct and centralized control of the system via the client's computer and tablets.

 

Considering that this is an extremely complex video system that we have successfully installed and put into operation, we are very proud of the praise that has come from many relevant institutions and individuals. All of them oblige us to ensure that each subsequent audio, video or lighting installation is equally professional and professionally performed and with the same level of commitment of the professional team.

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