Brian Robinson Collaboration

Immersive projection experience transforms leading First Nations artwork.

Melbourne
+35,000
visitors

In 2023, at the beating heart of Melbourne’s RISING Festival, the Shadow Spirit exhibition presented the largest showing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artists in recent history. As part of this remarkable event, S1T2 was invited to collaborate with First Nations artist Brian Robinson. Working together, we would transform a newly commissioned linocut into an immersive projection experience. Robinson’s bold linework, paired with our careful animation, bled across the walls, floor and ceiling, giving audiences the chance to immerse themselves in the ancestral stories of Robinson’s homeland in the Torres Strait.

Reknown cultural festival returns to Melbourne

Context

At S1T2 we’ve always been interested in telling hidden and unusual stories, often from indigenous communities around the world. We’ve had the pleasure to work with storytellers from Fiji, the Philippines, Myanmar and the Solomon Islands.

Recently, we’ve been looking for more opportunities to hero indigenous stories back home in Australia. So we jumped at the chance to work with leading First Nations artist Brian Robinson as part of the second annual RISING Festival in Melbourne.

Rising Festival signage displayed on the front of Melbourne Flinders Street Station at dusk.

A showcase of First Peoples art

Exhibition

Robinson was one of 14 First Nations artists involved in the Shadow Spirit Exhibition, which sat at the heart of the RISING Festival. The exhibition, curated by Yorta Yorta woman Kimberley Moulton, brought together works from over 30 of the country’s leading indigenous artists. It would be the most comprehensive showing of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in recent history; a true reflection of the remarkable stories and creativity of Australia’s First Peoples.

Working with a leading First Nations artist

Collaboration

As part of the exhibition, Robinson created a vast, detailed linocut artwork inspired by the ancestral knowledge of his ancestors. Our job would then be to take this new artwork and work with Robinson to bring it to life as an immersive experience. This would then be presented to audiences in one of the iconic abandoned rooms above Flinders Street Station.

Three people stand in an immersive projection environment showing black and white line artwork.

Ancestral knowledge + popular culture collide

Original Artwork

Before we started working on the experience, Cairns-based artist Brian Robinson created a large-scale linocut entitled, ‘Zugubal: The Winds and Tides Set the Pace’. The work tells the story of zugubal, ancient celestial beings who provide the rhythm for communal life in the Torres Strait. His intricate carvings would be the perfect starting point, providing a rich web of elements for us to draw from in bringing the artwork into the digital world.

‘Zugubal: The Winds and Tides Set the Pace’ linocut artwork created by First Nations artist Brian Robinson for the Shadow Spirit exhibition.

Deconstructing a constellation of details

Research

In order to translate Robinson’s work into an animated, immersive experience, we needed to know what we were dealing with. Speaking with Robinson, we came to understand the intent and vision behind his artworks, as well as the meaning behind his artistic practice.

Animated projection experience created by S1T2 in partnership with First Nations artist Brian Robinson.

Next we needed to break apart the artwork into individual elements that would later be reassembled into the immersive piece. This process was necessary to give us the assets we would eventually animate, but it was also useful in helping us imagine how the work might be transformed in a new medium.

Stylised black and white projection environment as part of immersive artwork at Rising Festival Melbourne.

An unconventional projection environment

Physical Space

Before we delved too deeply into creating our immersive experience, it was important to understand the physical space it would be projected in. For this project, we would be working within the confines of one of the abandoned rooms atop Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station. The location’s heritage-listed status meant we would not be able to make any alterations to the space. Instead, we would need to find ways to incorporate the architectural elements of the room into the experience without interrupting the story.

Creating one story from many parts

Narrative

Once we had an understanding of the artistic elements we had to work with, and the limitations of the physical space, it was time to map out the broad strokes of the experience. We worked closely with Robinson to develop a narrative arc. Our goal was to translate the themes of Robinson’s artwork into a compelling story.

As with any immersive experience, it would be important to make sure that the audience wouldn’t feel too overwhelmed when they arrived, or too disoriented when they left. We wanted to take advantage of the opportunities that the immersive medium would provide, while still staying true to the heart of Robinson’s artwork.

Setting the rules for success

Storyboards

With our narrative locked down and our assets prepped, it was time to move into the next phase of the project: storyboarding. Good storyboards are the key to creating a cohesive, emotionally resonant experience. They allow us to capture the beats of the story, as well as how these different beats could connect to each other and the projection space. And they help to ensure that the experience follows a satisfying emotional arc.

From printmaking to projection: The making of our Brian Robinson collaboration
Read the blog

Contrast + movement reveal new dimensions

Animation

When it came to animating Robinson’s artwork, our goal was to find ways to let the artist’s aesthetic and intent shine through in the movement of the immersive work. Using a balance of dramatic and natural motion, we wanted to capture the playfulness and wonder inherent to Robinson’s art.

Animation also played an important role in our ability to harness the immersive nature of projection mapping as a medium. At different moments throughout the experience, we would use motion to draw audiences through the space. Inviting visitors to experience new viewpoints and perspectives brought a heightened sense of dynamism and curiosity to the experience.

The pieces come together

Installation

Once the layout and animations were done, all that was left was to get into the space. When it came to installing this experience, things went fairly smoothly. We had worked closely with the artist, curator and AV partners throughout the design and animation process. So by the time we got onsite, it was just a case of final tweaking, grading and repositioning before the experience was ready for audiences.

A turning point for indigenous art

Results

‘Zugubal: The Winds and Tides Set the Pace’ debuted as part of Melbourne’s second annual RISING Festival in June of 2023. The exhibition sold over 35,000 tickets over eight weeks, bringing the magic of indigenous art and storytelling to local and international audiences.

Though simple in execution, the experience serves as a great example of how modern technologies can be used to bring ancient stories and traditional practices to new, more diverse audiences.