A unique virtual multimedia exhibition of Banksy's art in a 1000-year-old church brings the street artist's works to life.
ADVERTISEMENTImages, lights and augmented reality installations are transforming an old Florentine church into a multimedia exhibit that brings new life to the works of secretive British graffiti artist Banksy.
At Santo Stefano al Ponte in Florence, a disused church located a stone's throw from Ponte Vecchio, lasers project onto walls and floors, generating a three-dimensional effect.
The exhibit traces Banksy's artistic output from his earliest works.
Three augmented reality experiences transport visitors into the subterranean, post-industrial context of Bristol, which inspired many of the British artist's works.
"Inside Banksy is an experience because it's an exhibition, but it's mainly an installation: An experience, a visit, an insight into Banksy's world, as seen through the eyes of the digital world, but also in a very interactive way, so that people can immerse themselves in his world," explains Fabio Vallana, a production manager at Crossmedia, the company behind the unauthorised exhibition.
In the church's nave, its walls and floor become a canvas for a 35-minute journey through the mysterious artist's works.
"We are able to project on about 3,000 square metres (of surfaces), since the size of the church allows us to do so, we have heights that go up to almost 20 metres, and inside the so-called immersive work itself there are more than 200 images," says Vallana.
"Be like Banksy" and make your own art at the exhibition
Below the room, among the crypt's old columns, an introductory section conjures the atmosphere of suburban Bristol where Banksy created many of his early murals.
Here, visitors can find fragments of interviews, parts of documentaries and videos clips.
One section is dedicated to music, as the artist has designed numerous album covers for British musicians, including Massive Attack, Blur and Portishead.
But above all, it's the augmented reality experiences that take visitors inside Banksy's art.
In the 'Be Banksy' section, visitors can try being a street artist and create their own graffiti using an interactive spray can.
Elsewhere, with the 'Inside Banksy VR Experience', visitors can virtually walk among some of the artist's most famous works, many of which have since been destroyed, deleted, or are no longer visible.
Banksy: A mysterious graffiti artist
Banksy, who has never confirmed his identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world's best-known artists.
His mischievous and often satirical images include two male police officers kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces, and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, "Laugh now, but one day I'll be in charge."
Several of his works have sold for multiple millions at auction.
