Artist and curator Sean Stoops thinks outside the box. His latest project, funded by a prestigious Knight Arts Challenge grant, will reimagine local buildings in dramatic fashion. Dubbed "Animated Architecture: 3D Video Mapping Projections on Historic Philadelphia Sites," this series of public site-specific indoor and outdoor events will enliven underused spaces with light, sound and video. It will also bring Philadelphians out to explore their city in a fresh way.

Stoops was born in Philadelphia, but grew up in South Jersey. He returned to the city to attend Temple's Tyler School of Art, and eventually moved to West Philly. "I was in the Bay Area for a while," recalls Stoops. "When I moved back, I really felt more grounded in Philadelphia." 

"Animated Architecture" was partially inspired by Stoops' video collaboration with Mural Arts -- he saw that he could transform the idea of murals from static 2D paintings into breathing, energetic compositions. 

One of those collaborations, "Muralmorphosis," was a stop-action documentary complete with elements of street art and contemporary painting set to a pulsing soundtrack. In "Cosmic Terrarium," Stoops documented how, in two weeks, four artists transformed a vacant lot into an extraterrestrial 3D landscape, with paint covering the floor and the surrounding walls.

Another early seed was "Inhabit," a show Stoops curated in his West Philly apartment back in 2005. "It was a group show of mostly local artists that I knew, and the art was integrated into my living space," explains Stoops. "It was up for about two months. That really interested me in doing installations as a curator."

The show asked people to look at everyday objects and spaces in new ways. "I was still living there," says Stoops. "An artist made a quilt piece. I wouldn't sleep with it, but whenever I was open to visitors, it would be on the bed."

"Animated Architecture" is the next step on that journey. This sort of interactive installation has been done before -- just not locally. Stoops was exposed to European video festivals and light installations while attending the Transart Institute MFA program in New Media at Donau University in Austria (it has since moved to Berlin, Germany). The program allowed him to share time between Philadelphia and Europe. He now has the opportunity to bring a large-scale, contemporary festival to his hometown.

Stoops' innovative method creates a 3D effect without the need for a visual aid. "We use 3D projection mapping, a recent technology that 'animates' stationary objects with immersive video and audio effects," explains Stoops. "Spectators do not need special glasses for viewing; the animations are processed by software to display a moving 'video-skin' over interior and exterior architectural surfaces, generating animated, 3D effects."

"The original thought was to do these site-specific video art pieces on buildings in Philadelphia that have long histories but are maybe sort of overlooked or forgotten now," says Stoops. "Many of the artists that I'm considering haven’t really done 3D video mapping projects before. They’ve made video and film installations or digital and interactive art. I’m interested in working with artists who want to explore new technologies and push their video work in exciting directions."

Stoops is one of three individual awardees of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge which funds innovative projects that engage and enrich Philadelphia’s communities. 

Knight Foundation grantees must raise matching funds to complement the grant amount, in this case $20,000. "Most of this year I’ve been going through the different phases of early planning, trying to figure out how to raise the matching funds," says Stoops.

Philadelphia arts community allies stepped in to help out. Artist, writer and Tyler professor Gerard Brown was in the process of moving, and he allowed Stoops to transform his former Chinatown apartment near 9th and Arch Streets into a one-week exhibition and fundraising opportunity.
 
"The exhibit had three video projection areas: basically each room had different videos (even one in the bathroom)," recalls Stoops. "Artists loaned me items for the show. All was for sale. If anything sold, we asked that they donate part of it to my Knight Arts Challenge matching fund."
 
In fall 2013, "Animated Architecture" will launch, featuring two to four months of site-specific video art events. Stoops expects to preview the works in September, start official outdoor installations in mid-October and then move the events inside as winter arrives. A large indoor group exhibition component, tentatively scheduled for February 2014, will showcase local and international talent.

"Especially with any sort of public project, I think about the average viewer," says Stoops. "I try to show things in a context, or explain them in a way, that is accessible for people who maybe don't have as much experience with these sorts of art pieces."

Animated Architecture will soon announce the "Call for Artists" for the group exhibition.
The images in this story feature work by upcoming "Animated Architecture" contributor Tim Portlock.

BONNIE MACALLISTER is a multimedia artist and writer residing in West Philly. Her work has appeared in Tom Tom Magazine, Toronto Quarterly, Nth Position (U.K.) and Grasp (Czech Republic). Send feedback here.