“The Colorbox is an interactive and immersive visual art installation that aims to leverage color relationships to make people more aware of the act of constructing their impression of reality.” -- from colorbox.me

A Color Box was born

Visual artist Gabriel Mott started the Colorbox project in a garage in Maui with only one 2000-lumen projector and one wall. Realizing that the impact is far greater than the sum of its parts when projecting on all four walls, he started searching for the perfect projectors. He found them in the InFocus IN2112. Then A Color Box was born.

Four InFocus IN2112 projectors beam the images onto all sides of the 10-foot high box from the outside, creating a space free of shadows and full of changing color and light.

Participants walk into the box and find themselves projected into the visuals as illuminated shapes. The Colorbox then becomes a light show based on the person’s activity.

Why InFocus projectors?

“Often, we think the more lumens the better,” says Mr. Mott about his projectors. “But in this case, the IN2112’s 3000 lumens is just enough to make the box beam from a distance but not too bright to blast through one screen and dim out the other.”

The fast startup and illuminated control panel are other big plusses of the projectors. They can get The Colorbox setup during the daytime, but the critical alignment requires it be at least dusk. That means time is of the essence. They don’t want the audience to have to wait too long, get in the way, or get bored.

“When it's dark and raining, you don't want to be fumbling around for the power button,” says Mott. “And on these projectors it is always lit up right on top.”

Interactive breakthroughs

The first Colorbox was exhibited at the SOURCE Interactive Arts Festival in Maui, Hawaii two years ago. Because of potential wet jungle conditions, the projectors were housed in camping tents the first year – a useful solution but not very aesthetic. Just as the interactive control with the content of the Colorbox has evolved, so has the structure, including custom made rainproof projector housings with cooling fans and a Plexiglas roof and window designed and built by team member Scott Provonsha.

The greatest breakthrough for the Colorbox happened with the release of hacking software for the XBox Kinect. “This was my dream from the beginning, that the entire body would generate color relationships, exposing the visual perceptive system,” Mott explains.

"A body language of color"

Over the last year, the Colorbox has shown at Alchemeyez, The Visionary Arts Festival in Hawaii, as well as at the Maui Film Festival and TEDxMaui. After every public show, Mott is able to learn from people’s body movement how the gestures can be more intuitive. “We are now exploring what it means to create a body language of color,” explains Mott. “Just as space has three axis, color is generated by three primaries.”

The fifth annual SOURCE festival opens on February 17th, 2012. Mott has included new features that include yoga poses and tai-chi gestures. As well, on the last night, the Colorbox will be lifted 5 feet higher. “I’m so excited to bring the latest evolution of the Colorbox to this year’s festival," Mott says. "Last year people just shadow danced and I can’t tell you how many told me how much they loved the experience. Just wait until they find out that they are about to become their own light projection artist using their body inside the box.”

The Color Box At Alchemeyez from Gabe Colors on Vimeo.