BOSTON – Presenting a family-friendly and physically-distant celebration at the famed Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston,Hatched: Breaking through the Silence was a four-week illumination and sound project from nonprofit organization Esplanade Association. Featuring a team of predominantly female-identifying artists and directors, Hatched brought an opportunity for underrepresented communities to “break through” and share their skills, vision and voice.
More details from Epson (www.epson.com):
Led by Boston-based composer and artistic director Maria Finkelmeier of MF Dynamics and made possible by collaborations with LuminArtz and projector sponsor Epson, Hatched delivered an original 15-minute visual and sound performance shaped specifically for the 80-year-old amphitheater itself. Bringing vibrant color and form to the inner surface of the Hatch Shell, Hatched offered a rare opportunity to experience joy through projection mapping during New England winter months. To weather the winter days, custom-built housing was designed for the three 15,000-lumen Epson Pro L1755UNL laser projectors and ELPLU04 short-throw lenses, ensuring the show would go on rain or shine.
When visiting the Hatched installation, visitors were able to tune in to the original synchronized soundtrack on their personal devices while watching the illuminations in the open-air landscape of the historic Hatch Shell Oval Lawn.
“This year the Esplanade was as essential as ever before to the physical health and mental well-being of our visitors,” said Michael Nichols, Executive Director of the Esplanade Association. “Hatched provided a safe, open-air destination for people and their families to experience art while enjoying the tranquil beauty of the Esplanade in winter. This spectacular illumination experience is the perfect way to mark the Esplanade Association’s first 20 years of lighting the way forward for Boston’s riverfront park.”
The projection-mapped visuals for Hatched celebrated the many sounds that Hatch Shell performers have expressed over the facility’s impressive musical history. Finkelmeier and her team featured geometric shapes of musical instruments as kaleidoscope pieces, human hands magically tapping, scratching and creating beats on the surface itself, and colorful animations accentuating the Shell’s Art Deco form – all set to new music composed by Finkelmeier and recorded by local musicians.
Finkelmeier says, “Creating Hatched for one of my favorite pieces of architecture in the city has been a huge honor. When I think of the Hatch Shell, I envision gorgeous music, community and a love for my city. Memories of concerts, walks and bike rides along the Esplanade come to mind. With Hatched, my team and I are elated to create a new type of expression that brings original music, visuals and new technology to the iconic structure, encouraging viewers to form a new memory of the space – a memory that will carry us into the New Year and beyond, celebrating creativity, resilience and joy.”
“Multimedia artists and their ability to push the power of projection beyond limits continues to amaze me,” said Ramzi Shakra, Epson product manager. “It’s a challenging time for live events, Hatched provided the Boston community with something many have been craving – a safe, fun experience at the city’s treasured Hatch Shell.”
photo-credit-Aram-Boghosian
