Trip the Light Fantastic

President Snow’s mansion pulsates with vitality.

by Athen Claith

Mirroring the opulence of the City Circle and the Avenue of the Tributes, President Snow’s abode stands in a league of its own. The three-story residence anchors the Capitol in its grandeur and stolid architecture. But for the Victory Tour party, the estate’s expansive façade took on a whole new persona that complemented the revelry and vitality of the city.

Darius Fley, event planner to the stars and décor consultant for the lavish gala, cited light projection artist Marco Nereo-Rotelli as his inspiration for the display. “With Marco’s work, you always feel the piece. It’s just as much about giving the piece life as it is about visual spectacle,” said Fley who also name checked celebrated artist James Turrell as an influence. “That’s what I wanted to do here—make the house feel alive.” The light projections accomplished that goal, transforming the manor into a sophisticated fun house of sorts. Renowned architect Frank Gehry also manipulates natural light in his structures to organically reflect images in the periphery.

Right now, there’s a guerilla movement afoot in the art world. J R Skola and Matt Nova of Dawn of Man art collective use a laptop, a generator and a projector atop the roof of a car to project wild, enormous images on buildings in New York. Recent advances in 3-D technology allows these rogue artists to cast multidimensional light shows that aren’t hampered by building contours or shapes. They have turned edifices into pinball machines and dancing monkeys. The “video mapping” art scene, as it is known, has been percolating in New York, London and the bohemian loft area of the Capitol.

Leave it to President Snow to include a futuristic art movement in the festivities. It shows a whimsy about his own wealth and a knowledge of the underground scene.