A Citywide Showcase, Splendid Day and Night
In 2022, the City Expo chose Keelung as its host, themed "The City of Starts." The event invited the public to sail through 400 years of Keelung's port city charm with the sea breeze. The Keelung City Government integrated urban construction resources, planning four major exhibition areas: Keelung Port, Zhengbin Fishing Harbor, the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology, and Shawan History and Culture Park. By combining projection mapping and digital art technology, the entire city was transformed into a massive exhibition space. With 55 exhibitions, artworks, and over 100 events, the City Expo embodied the ethos of showcasing both mountains and seas, bringing excitement both day and night.
We were honored to participate in two works, "The City of Starts" and "A Pilgrimage to Mountains and Seas." Through the magnificent projection mapping at the Keelung Cultural Center in A Zone, we illuminated Keelung's unique historical landscape and inherent port charm, inviting the public to wander through Keelung’s night sky.
The City of Starts
This projection mapping work, co-created with ComputerFace and K4s Motion Studio, shares its name with the City Expo theme. It transformed the landmark architecture of the Keelung Cultural Center into a massive time-traveling ship. Starting from 1626, it navigated through 400 years of history, witnessing the transformation from Kelang to Keelung. It highlighted Keelung's role not only as a key transportation hub for Taiwan's roads and railways but also as the island's sea-level origin point. The unique hand gestures of the "Keelung Fish Auction" (local fish auctioneer) in the animation counted down, leading the audience to shift perspectives and jump through time, showcasing the contemporary vitality of Keelung as a shipbuilding stronghold, cruise home port, and new ocean city.
A Pilgrimage to Mountains and Seas
Stepping into the projection mapping work "A Pilgrimage to Mountains and Seas," a cross-disciplinary collaboration between us and renowned illustrator Croter, feels like entering a fantastical dream. It’s not just a visual feast but also a life experience resonating with the ocean. Here, you’ll encounter gliding stingrays, schools of squids, giant whales, and forest-carrying turtles, all surfacing and swimming in Keelung’s sky, harmoniously coexisting with the citizens. As day turns to night and seasons change, Keelung unfolds like a vivid, flowing scroll. Through our and Croter's brushstrokes, this story meandering through Keelung’s night sky becomes not only a visual extravaganza but also a declaration of sustainable urban development. Regardless of how roads, railways, mountain paths, and waterways evolve, and how the cityscape changes, Keelung will continue to interpret a future of sustainable coexistence with the mountains and seas in ever more vibrant forms.
Audience Feedback
＃Keelung nights now have more than just the sea breeze; we have amazing light sculptures.
＃Everyone is welcome to Keelung to see the fish, the sea, and the art.
＃The port city's night rain has stopped, and the night view is illuminated.
Media
2022 Keelung City Expo! Featuring Four Major Exhibition Areas, Projection Mapping Shows, and Sea-viewing Experiences.
Keelung Cultural Center Projection Mapping Show! A Dazzling Visual Display Showcasing Keelung's Rich History and Its Coastal Lifestyle.
Organizer｜Department of Tourism and City Marketing Keelung City Government
Planning Coordinator｜Harvest Ideation
Creative Team｜IF Plus
Art Director｜Poyu Wang
Strategic Director｜Jet Zhou
Execution Coordination｜Gigi Cheng
Illustration｜Croter
Visual Design｜Tingan Chen
Dynamic Image Design｜K4s Motion Studio, ComputerFace, Kuan-Wen Liu
Music Design｜KaKong