The Inventor of liquid fireworks
(19.04.2006) The winter of 1997 was the first time Matthias Strobl projected a "lightmotiv". A flower pot with a lightbulb inside, covered with a glass dish - that's all it needed for projecting the moves and details of a simple oil and vinegar mixture in an unseen way. People all over the world are fascinated by these pictures. Since 1999 Matthias Strobl and his company theNightLab (tnl) is specialized in designing rooms with light in an atmospheric way. The patented projector lightmotiv.analog amazes corporate clients, wellness-enthusiasts, art lovers and trance-freaks from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro.
It's a simple but genious technique: the projector enlarges the liquid content of a shined through petri-dish up to 35 m in diameter. „the analog technology outshines a standard video-beamer by four times and it is pin sharp." explains Matthias Strobl. „A mirror ensures, that the liquid contents of the petri-dish can be projected into every direction." With two new projectors, which were developed in 2005, it's possible to create projections up to 100 meters in Diameter. „That's the brightest moving image projection worldwide." states Matthias Strobl. „Until November 2006 they are used for one of the most popular shows, "The Pink Floyd Show" in 30 german citys."
From a like ant till z like zucchini
rinse aid, nail polish, bike-chain-oil, silk painting colours: Besides the rotation of the petri-dish the addition of effect-substances influences the appearance of the projection: „For Standard Projections the main part of the mixture is on a water basis. Into that I give different substances."
Matthias Strobl tried out more than 2000 substances, about 50 of them are regularly in use now. „The skill is to know the way in which the different substances react with each other. If I a newbie tries to create these projections, the liquid content will be a brown dowdy soup in 15 minutes. But someone who knows what it´s about can conjure wonderfull and exciting pictures in the same petri-dish for over 5 hours." At art-happenings currently little crayfishes are the favorites: while they swim in the waterfilled petri-dish, they are shining on chairs and tables and seem to be really there. „Crawling mega-sized ants paving their way through a petri-dish filled with sand, are suboptimal for sensitive minds." the Artist says.
Every Image is Unique
In the eye of the inventor the fascination of lightmotiv is it's organicness and uniqueness: „You will never know how the images will look like, because finally the laws of nature decide in which way the structures form" says Mathias Strobl. „It's not possible to create exactly the same picture again and because of that every image is unique. In the era of technological reproduction it's so wonderful to experience the uniqueness of a moment."
The possible applications for the projector are various: „You can use lightmotiv at stage acts, but also as an element for big decoration spaces on an event while it's changing it's form, colour and dynamic during the evening." Matthias Strobl tells. He likes to work with the Company "Flash Art", also from Bielefeld, which is the main provider of pyrotechnology and special effects in Germany. „We seem to be at the same wavelength." noticed the young inventor satisfied. „Classical and liquid fireworks out of one hand - you have never seen that before."
Decorative Element and Marketing-Tool
Since tnl was founded in 1999, Matthias Strobl got around a lot: nearly 700 events were illuminated. In Brasil, Japan, Russia, Portugal, Italy, Turkey and Switzerland trance-freaks were dancing in the shadow of these liquid works of art, which, when perfectly managed are symbiotic with the music. In 2005 he illuminated the Laureus Sports Awards Opening in Portugal, arranged by Vogue Magazine, and in Italy it was the Marriage of the german publisher Benedikt Taschen. At Incentives from Davidoff, Vattenfall and Siemens-Nixdorf, but also at the presentation of the Audi A6 Avant and the Porsche Cayenne the liquid firework prooved to be a fantastic Marketing-Tool. „We escorted the Delius Klasing publishing company to the tradeshow Boot. We adjusted the projection with the Corporate Design. You can put a logo of the under the petri-dish and it will appear inside the projection."
The Meyer Werft in Papenburg booked theNightLab for the illumination of the theatre in the cruise liner "Jewel of the Seas". „With just a small suitcase of our Skills we could show the guest something special, like they've never seen before." It's the same in the gastronomy: in big citys like Berlin and Amsterdam, where the creative heads of the gastronomy-scene outbid each other with their creative ideas, lightmotiv is used as a decoration element.
Against the fast pace of life
The projections from Germany turn against the fast pace of life. „People spend a lot of their time at the PC, are stressed out and want to have a brake. In our projections, which tickle the asthetic sensation, they will find silence and relaxation. Nothing captures our senses as much as visual stimulation." Matthias Strobl feels confident. But the tnl GmbH also provides the whole spectrum of projection- and lighting engeneering. TheNightLab was significantly involved in designing and installing the Video-and LED- technology of the Toskana Therme in Bad Schandau.
Since spring 2006 the German TV shows "lightmotiv" Projections at night on TV at channel 21. The latest project of theNightLab: „In January 07 we will publish our Chill-Out-DVD in cooperation with the Musiclabel Electrolux. Our projections will be combined with chill-out music. The TV station "Hessischer Rundfunk" shows sections of the DVD during their midnight-show.
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