Urban Stamp: Architecture in light and color

Using a technology almost a century old, but with an idea as original and topical as possible, an artistic event was realized in Timișoara, in the Unirii Square, which delighted the eyes of thousands of people. So, on the first weekend in June last year, thousands of Timisoara's inhabitants watched huge images painted by young artists and projected onto the Baroque Palace of the Art Museum.

The event, like other such celebrations that have found their place on the cultural agendas of other major European cities such as Lyon, Berlin and Amsterdam, was much appreciated, proving once again, if proof were needed, that Little Vienna is concerned with such artistic expressiveness.

Architectural projections, in their realization, consist of a number of variables, parameters that have been taken into account by the organizers from the very beginning. Urban Stamp started on the evening of June 3, 2011, in Union Square. The actual organization lasted about two weeks, not enough time - some would say, but the show went ahead and materialized. Thousands of people joined in the sound and light show, watching the metamorphosis of the Baroque Palace façade. Known and recognized artists or artists of circumstance, different ages, from kindergartens, general schools, high schools or students of Architecture and Fine Arts faculties. Ordinary people or people in the know. Interested, curious, passing by. Romanian or foreigners. 120 participants in the competition, utensils, colors and the "canvas" (made of glass) to paint and design it directly on the facade of the building, without retouching or processing.

It is almost impossible to describe this event in just a few words, the above enumerations capture the essence of the effort made by the Timisoara-based Association from 4, to offer the city something very, very special. More concretely, however, artists of all ages participated, from kindergarten children to high school pupils and students from the faculties of Architecture and Fine Arts, while leaving the doors open to all those who wished to express themselves on glass and in color. There were also participants from other countries who measured their talents against local artists. The event ended with an online competition, with the author of the painting with the most votes winning a digital camera. The event was intended to be unique, like all the activities of the Association from 4, the idea was a bold one, as nothing like it had ever been done before, not just a large projection, but a real artistic event.

The 120 participants of all ages were provided with three images representing the part of the building that each of the three projectors used represented. All the paintings were made with a brush on 18 centimeters square glass, which was then left to dry until the evening, when it was placed directly into the projector. In the absence of an intermediary stage, the image rendered on the building was directly the painting made by each artist, which gave uniqueness to the event, expressing a new vision and a particular way of interpreting architecture. With the support of Pani Projection and Lighting Vetriebs GmbH (Austria) and the Austrian company's partner in Romania - Rheinbrucke Architecture, large BP6 projectors, 6 kilowatt lamps were used. Music by Gheorghe Iovu completed the atmosphere of the light show. The whole show was mentally difficult to grasp by some, appreciated by connoisseurs and the general public, leaving room for real-time comments on the works presented, but especially on the event itself.