THE AURORA: SXSW
Client: Vita Motus / VUSE
Event: SXSW [South By Southwest]
Concept: Aurora Borealis
ROLES:
lead installation designer
parametric form finder
3D-print specialist
sound designer & composer
interaction designer
fabrication manager
photographer
For the eventually-cancelled SXSW 2020, HNZLR served the Vita Motus team as lead designer, sound designer, composer, and 3D-print specialist on an infinity room themed around the aesthetic of Aurora Borealis. All photos taken and edited by HNZLR.
PRINTING SPECIALIST EXPERTISE
HNZLR carries extensive experience printing with various leading technologies such as FDM, SLS, SLA, DLP, MJF, DMLS, including lost-wax casting of precious metals like gold, copper, and aluminum. HNZLR assembles and maintains 3D printers in home and professional life, offering clients a deeply informed perspective on best print practices, timelines, tolerances, and material capabilities.
SCENIC ARTWORK
All scenic within the space was fully 3D printed complete with touch interactivity, lighting, and reactive sound. HNZLR realized the canopy design through algorithmic modeling processes in Grasshopper, producing a hollow cellular network printed by a 6-axis robotic arm. HNZLR modeled the vertical “tree trunks”, which were printed in-house on the Vita Motus farm, diffusing light beautifully due to an innovative rippled extrusion technique developed in prototyping. There is no hardware joining the canopy and trunks- only finely tolerant fits and zip ties.
INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY
Closely collaborating with Enjoyable Engineering, we implemented addressable LEDs, light fixtures, and capacitive touch interactivity into the design. The interactive touch pads were printed with conductive PLA, offering users a range of control via their hand’s proximity to the print, behind which was another custom 3D-print housing a microprocessor that transfers data and power over ethernet [POE]. Depending on the tree they choose to interact with and the current place in the narrative timeline, users will find their hand opening/closing filters, adjusting resonance, triggering HNZLR’s arsenal of bespoke textural samples and actuating lighting fixtures. Uniting TouchDesigner and Ableton in real-time [TDAbleton] allowed us to harmonize interactivity, sound, and visuals into a seamless user experience.
AUDIO-VISUAL NARRATIVE
1_NIGHTFALL
2_DAWN
3_SUNSET
HNZLR conceptualized and composed an audio-reactive narrative designed to guide users through the experience over time, providing structured emotional dynamics to the sensory interactivity.
1_NIGHTFALL: An ominous, bioluminescent midnight soundscape, alive with the subtle rustling of unseen creatures and meditative tonalities.
2_DAWN: A gentle awakening, carried by harp melodies and birdsong, evoking an uplifting magenta sunrise.
3_SUNSET: A climactic crescendo, with undulating waves of red and orange deepening into night until the narrative folds back into itself, completing a continuous circadian loop.
Each passage reflects a time when the Aurora is most visible. The compositions feature original synthesis patches, field recordings, and studio-captured samples of materials like glass, metal, rice, seeds, and other granular substrates, demonstrating HNZLR’s sensitivity in uniting avant-garde experimentation with commercially resonant beauty. The brand and client were overjoyed with the result.
[INTERACTIVE MOMENT]
During rehearsals, the testing audience remained fully engaged, captivated by the looping experience. Many spent hours exploring the relationship between their bodies, sound, space, and light, with several remarking that it was an immersive art form unlike anything they had ever encountered.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
HNZLR, a full-process experiential designer, took this project from concept to completion, serving additionally as draughtsman and fabrication manager. This ensures artistic intent and oversight are carried through without getting mistranslated.
A highly experimental form of architecture, The Aurora demanded precise layouts and indication for such unconventional assembly and building practices. These drawings heavily utilize clipping planes, translucency, and meticulously placed leaders to provide clear visual communication to fabricators and adjacent teams.
cONCEPT RENDERINGS
PHOTOGRAPHY
All photos taken and edited by HNZLR.
