Uninterrupted

From time to time Facebook notifies you with events your friends are attending. I found Uninterrupted on my list a couple of weeks ago. The life of a salmon projected on the underside of a bridge. I was fascinated. So I went with a couple of my friends on a Thursday night last week – the last week of the show.

We figured out quite quickly what the deal was. You’d lie or sit down on the ground under the bridge looking up. I tried to pick a day it wouldn’t be so crowded and it felt like I succeeded. We had a nice spot on the soft rubber platform of a playground (quite conveniently placed under the bridge). People had blankets and stuff – kinda wish I had come up with that idea. Having hot chocolate on a warm but crisping end summer night would’ve been perfect.

The music started, the murmur stopped, the projection was about to begin. From the first second to the last it was amazing. 25 minutes of colours and sounds and awe. So what is it all for…?

Uninterrupted wants to make us think about the connections we have in our lives. People and environment are obviously a topic in many conversations but also animals should be included. We should think about our communities and take action. One of salmons communities is the Pacific ecosystem which all affects us people too.

Even though the idea behind the cinematic spectacle is noble I have to admit I was lying under the Cambie Bridge for the visuals and the experience. And I have to say, again, that it was truly amazing. The vibrant colours and the world of sound the team created, the three dimensional aspect of the canvas (the structures of the bridge) and a new sensation of lying on the ground and watching a movie – this is what I came to Vancouver for. I just wish there were more things like this. And it was free, too.

The main message, though, I want to say about this in the light of design is that the team really nailed it. They took an important matter and created something new and vivid, interesting and memorable. The project obviously took sooo many hours but it was clearly done with passion. It was something bigger than just the life of a salmon. It was touching the minds and hearts of all of us under the bridge that night – and other nights too, I believe.

This is an informative ​form of art that I would love to see more and will definitely keep my eyes open for things like this in the future. I encourage you to do the same.

While waiting, here are some pictures for you to enjoy. And something to think about. And to dream about.