Type: Experience
My Role: Creative & Art Direction
Agency: Expology
From Base to Summit
- Norwegian Mountaineering Centre
Norwegian Mountaineering Center is located in Åndalsnes, Norway. Considered by many to be the mecca of climbing and base-jumping. Many of the historic artefacts belonged to the late Arne Randers Heen, a climbing pioneer.
The exhibition is a journey from basecamp to summit. In order to make that journey, a climber must put faith in the equipment while picking the route suited to the climbers ability. The mountain characteristics such as cracks, ledges, dihedrals and roofs makes the mountain climbable. We interpret the equipment through material - and cracks/ledges through shape and form. This created a juxtaposition between mountain vs tool, old vs new.
Interactive installations are relevant to the mountaineering experience; pulling ropes , gripping and balancing are interactions user experience through the exhibition.
The Concept
Scenographic > Anodized cracks
Modern climbing gear like nuts, carabiner and anchors usually have colorful coating. This is a process is called anodizing. Cracks has always been useful in traversing, and we wanted to juxtapose this by emphazising the cracks with anodized aluminum- thus creating a themed element and signage system.
Graphic > 108 degrees
Both logo and graphics takes inspiration from the architecture. The steep angel represents the vertical nature of climbing. Geometric patterns are created to form a grid for typography as well as graphic elements on graphic and digital surfaces. The results are geometric interpretation of cracks.
UX
Example of UX template used on screens throughout the exhibtion.
The Scenography
Personal moments
One of the interactive installations at the exhibitions tells of personal stories from different climbers and mountaineers. We strive to add to the experience with a more tactile interaction - and with relevance to the subject. By mixing analogue and digital - the user interact with the content using a climbing rope to pull through the different stories.
Balancing the view
The exhibition narrative starts at the basecamp - and ends at the summit. The visitor starts by choosing on of several mountain views for their selfie. A 180 degrees canvas projects the selected view along with name and height of summit. You must step onto a tilting plate - and maintain balance for the camera to take a snapshot. The projected image tilts syncronized with the balancing board enhancing the feeling of tipping backwards or forwards over the edge. Achieved with Arduino gyroscope and accelerometer.
