Componente Studio Digital Design and New Media Studio

5th Limbo

Date: Agust 2024

The Idea

For this project, we were invited by Centro University in Mexico City to collaborate on creating an immersive experience titled "Salvar el Tiempo". This was a special opportunity to work alongside Normal Studio, a renowned Canadian studio known for its work in immersive experiences. The theme we were asked to explore was time, a broad and abstract concept that allowed us to experiment creatively.

The immersive installation was to be projected onto three walls and the floor of InSpace, a dedicated venue for immersive experiences. InSpace is part of INTUS, an initiative with over 15 years of expertise in creating immersive environments, and its goal is to inspire users and viewers by blending creativity and innovation. The piece needed to encapsulate the feeling of being in a space where time flows differently—a place where past, present, and future merge into something more fluid and abstract.

Our team conceptualized an installation named "5th Limbo", a digital exploration of a realm where time is not static or linear. The goal was to create an environment where viewers feel suspended in a space where time behaves in unique and surreal ways.

TheProcess

We started by brainstorming and blocking our ideas, drawing inspiration from various sources that explored the themes of time and space. Our goal was to visualize time as a liminal space—a state where it doesn't progress, regress, or remain still. This limbo, the "5th Limbo," would transport viewers to a space beyond reality.

The project required us to 3D model and animate four distinct compositions, one for each of the three walls and one for the floor. Each composition represented a different manifestation of time, from flowing slowly and seamlessly to becoming disjointed or fragmented. We crafted these scenes using detailed 3D models and animations that would immerse viewers in this unique atmosphere, giving each surface its own story within the shared theme of time distortion.

To add further dimension, we introduced 2D animations as accent pieces. These accents helped highlight key moments in each composition, emphasizing how time’s passing, or lack thereof, influenced the overall narrative. The blend of 3D and 2D elements helped create a richly layered and complex experience for viewers.

We carefully tested and refined the animations to ensure the visuals would work well across the three walls and floor. The immersive nature of the projection setup meant we had to account for the viewer's perspective, making sure the animations were impactful from all angles.

The Finished Product

The final piece, "5th Limbo," is an abstract, immersive experience where time is not governed by the usual rules. Each of the four compositions represented a unique interaction with time, bringing viewers into a surreal limbo where they could feel separated from the normal flow of reality.

Projected across three walls and the floor, the experience surrounded viewers, fully engaging them in the concept of time passing differently. The 2D animations complemented the larger 3D compositions by enhancing key moments and drawing the eye to specific visual cues.

The installation was a success, adding a deeply conceptual piece to the "Salvar el Tiempo" experience, and contributing to the goal of InSpace to inspire and provoke thought. The collaboration with Normal Studio and Centro University provided us with an opportunity to push the boundaries of what we could do within an immersive, multi-sensory environment, leaving the audience with a lasting impression of time as something malleable, fluid, and uncertain.

Digital Design and New Media