If you’ve ever entered into an immersive art exhibit, you may have wondered, “How did it get here?” Seamless all-around filmscapes, projection mapping, and responsive technology have put agency in the hands of the viewer while creating a “new” reality. As techniques evolve, artists expand their concepts to challenge the limits of what’s possible. In order to do that, big visions of interaction must boil down to concrete, practical technology solutions. This is where Aligned Vision Group (Toronto, ON) serves the field, providing cutting-edge audio, visual and entertainment technology. They work across industries in every space from fine art to pro sports and healthcare, with prowess and expertise, bringing artist’s visions to life through sound, light, and motion.
Have you ever wanted to fly through a nebula or walk on the moon? What about following Alice through the rabbit-hole to meet the Queen of Hearts, or learning the Chechire cat’s secrets? These new, immersive storytelling experiences debuted as part of Toronto’s new “Illuminarium” (2023), the site of a 19th century Victorian distillery transformed into a 21st-century dream factory. With content by local Emmy-winning artists at “Secret Location”, known for their interactive VR and AR experiences, Toronto has a new, adaptable venue for experiential works. 

Collaborating with Panasonic Connect, the Illuminarium experience reimagines immersive entertainment and brings these experiences to life.

In “SPACE: A Journey to the Moon and Beyond”, audiences are led first through a realistic moon-rocket launch, then on to a journey from the moon to the stars. They fly past spacecraft, exploring planets, galaxies, and zodiac constellations, taking in clips from NASA and the James Webb Space Telescope. Hidden speakers allow for a 360-degree audioscape tied to the immersive film narrative. Appealing to our innate fascination with what’s beyond our world, “SPACE” provides an artful reflection of reversed perspectives, seeing earth as the fragile oasis it is, among all the vast space and stardust. 

ALICE IN WONDERLAND, the other opening exhibit of the Illuminarium, draws out a three-act structure that includes a scavenger hunt and live performers. Their most recent show, LITE BRITE, has a mix of gaming, interactivity, and cinematic narrative that works well as an intergenerational experience, drawing on nostalgia and making room for children’s play.
One of the biggest design challenges in interactive work is the issue of latency, or delay, between a user’s action and the narrative response. We expect instant feedback from our phones, and it has become an expectation for all interaction with technology. For the Illuminarium, Aligned Vision Group worked closely with the client and their technology partner Panasonic, to incorporate  a highly complex system to allow synchronous images across walls and floors with essentially zero latency for interactions. Visitors can see their footsteps kick up dust on the moon’s surface, and explode asteroids as they encounter them, with audio that syncs to action. Created in collaboration with Panasonic Connect, Panasonic Large Venue 4K laser projectors provide realistic vivid imagery, their seamlessness creating the heightened illusion of truly staring into space.

To accommodate this level of performance, Aligned Vision Group worked closely with architects and engineers, general contractors and electrical workers, developing proper HVAC and structural support for its 32 servers. They even had to rig a floating floor, anchored to the architecture above, to accommodate the physical weight of technology and the historic preservation guidelines. 
Aligned Vision Group facilitates projects large and small, from artists to corporate clients, from 20,000 seat stadiums, to 200 seat theaters, and anything between. In many cases, an artist might need to speak with technologists in early phases to clarify plans and develop concrete strategies that can be handed to the team of broader professionals involved. They support touring immersive exhibits as well as fixed locations, able to adapt projects to multiple venues, while leaving systems simple enough to be handled by local staff with low maintenance.

In another public project, Aligned Vision Group was hired to work with artists and to embellish a historic building in Cambridge, ON, with aims to maximize the spectacular nature of the artwork and the architectural features of the building. It has now been running for 8 years, with new artists and content updates each year. From traditional canvas works, to 2D and 3D illustration, projection mapping allows for light to expand the possibility of architectural embellishment. It is also a substantial platform for appreciating the work of contemporary artists. Adding layers of intimacy and nostalgia, original audio for the piece is accessed from the privacy of one’s car in a lot across the street, like the old drive-in movies. The popularity of work such as this is testament to the public desire for creative experiences that tie into a sense of location and community.

We all have inner children yearning to “choose your own adventure” as the storybooks told. With the evolution of technology, sound, light, and motion have extended our storytelling experience into highly realistic, immersive worlds. Alchemizing the visions held by today’s artists, Aligned Vision Group stands out as a provider of immersive experience. Demystifying the creation process and building the audio-visual infrastructure these works demand, their only limit is “how big is your imagination?”