Art
Innovative Digital Art Gallery Lights up Philly
Go behind the scenes as Red Bull Art of Can covers city hall with a cutting-edge digital projection.
PHILADELPHIA — Last Saturday night, thousands of Philadelphians witnessed the city’s massive city hall transform into an animated kaleidoscope, a live visual synthesizer and even a growling, 300-foot monster.
To kick off the opening night of 2015 Red Bull Art of Can, Philly-based design firm Klip Collective used groundbreaking projection mapping to turn the entire west side of the building into a dynamic art piece. Locals even got the chance to man the unique control board (made of Red Bull cans) and try their hand at being A/V DJs.
While the audience delighted in the once-in-a-lifetime experience, no one enjoyed it more than Ricardo Rivera, creative director and co-founder of Klip Collective. After explaining the technical and logistical details of the project, he spoke for many by summing it up thusly: “It’s pretty cool, right?”
Behind the scenes at Red Bull Art of Can:
4 min
Art of Can Behind the Scenes
Art of Can Behind the Scenes
The city hall projection wasn’t the only artistic breakthrough at the event, with the 30 finalists in this year’s Art of Can competition on display in a special installation open to the public. Featuring submissions from all over the country, the diverse group of Red Bull can-created works highlighted the vision and ingenuity that Art of Can is known for. However, this year marked the first time that digital submissions were accepted, including computer animations, stop-motion videos and GIFs.
“It was such a smart move on Red Bull’s part to open it up to digital media artists,” said Patrick Shillenn, co-founder and director of Arch Enemy Arts, a Philadelphia gallery that worked on Art of Can. “Artists were really, really clever in how they chose to contribute in a digital way and it really added a lot to the final event.”
I feel like there are really no limitations. You can literally do anything.
Jacob Leberer, a Buffalo, New York-based digital artist, was one of a handful of contestants who made the trip to Philly for the festivities. His entry, “Red Bull Rubix Cube,” produced with the help of a computer-aided design (CAD) program, won second place in the all-new digital category. Leberer was grateful for the opportunity to enter his digital work into the competition.
“It’s great because there are a lot of different ways to make art, in my eyes,” he told RedBull.com. “I feel like there are really no limitations. You can literally do anything.”
Winner Kathy Beale at Art of Can
© Taylor Galloway / Red Bull Content Pool
Of course, the physical Red Bull can-constructed pieces are the foundation of Art of Can, and this year featured some of its most impressive submissions to date. Spanning all shapes and sizes, the entries continued to push the envelope with remarkable creativity and ingenuity.
Several finalists drew inspiration from this year’s host city, incorporating Benjamin Franklin’s legendary kite flight and the iconic Liberty Bell. One highlight was Rebecca Backus’ “Love Sugar Free,” her take on Robert Indiana’s influential “LOVE” logo, a sculpture that has stood at Philadelphia’s JFK Plaza — often called “LOVE Park” — for nearly 40 years. Backus, an Ohio native, didn’t know that the Art of Can’s installation at city hall was across the street from Love Park, but when she saw her work directly facing the original, she was moved.
“When they told me, I got very emotional,” she said. “That’s been my favorite modern art piece since I was a kid and I had never seen it [in real life] until Wednesday. I had no idea that the park was there until I got here and it blew me away.”
Visitors at Art of Can
© Taylor Galloway / Red Bull Content Pool
Kathy Beale took the top prize for the second straight year with her “Special Delivery.” And while a repeat victory would normally be the highlight of the competition, Beale was more excited about who won the runner-up prize: her daughter, Jennifer. In her first entry into an Art of Can competition, Jennifer Beale’s baseball-centric “Puppy Love” charmed the judges and came in just behind her mother.
“I wasn’t surprised that [my mother’s piece] won, because I think it’s amazing, but I was so excited to even make the show,” Jennifer Beale said. “Then when I found out that we both placed, I started crying.”
For the Texas-based Beale family, the entire Art of Can experience from start to finish has been an emotional, joyful experience.
“I could tell she was pretty proud I was doing it,” Jennifer Beale said of her mom. “And I know it meant a lot to her to be able to pass something along.”