Immersive light sculpture “The Tree”

A centrepiece was created for the ‘Mythos Wald’ exhibition at the Gasometer Oberhausen, the likes of which has never been seen before. At its heart is a monumental tree that rises above the entire space, combining light, projections and music into an immersive experience. Garamantis developed the real-time production software, designed the experience logic and implemented the system logic in such a way that the large technical structure became a precisely controllable experience.

Working on behalf of Ars Electronica Solutions, Garamantis was involved from the earliest project phase. Its role centered on the software layer of the installation, including LED playback and real-time control. The task was not just to put content on display, but to create a system in which light, movement, timing and music interact seamlessly from scene to scene. This is what makes large-scale immersive environments work: software that connects media, spatial design and technology into a unified experience.

An immersive centrepiece for the exhibition “Mythos Wald”

The light sculpture provides an insight into a staged root space and a tree trunk made of LEDs, which rise up into an abstract tree canopy. There, the LEDs combine with projections to tell a spatial story about the seasons, weather, energy flows, and the hidden processes of the forest.

The sheer dimensions already show the scale of this installation. Rising to 33.8 metres, the tree dominates the space from the ground up. Around its crown, the gauze ring for projection mapping spans 30 metres in diameter, while the root system extends across 50 metres. At its base, the trunk reaches a diameter of 7.5 metres, and the entire light sculpture weighs in at 11 tonnes.

On this scale, the media architecture can only be managed with the help of carefully planned software. A total of 2.8 kilometres of LED strips were used. This system controls 42,892 pixels, 300 universes and 343,136 individual LEDs. Six projectors were used to illuminate the tree canopy.

Experience Logic und Software made by Garamantis

Garamantis was commissioned by Ars Electronica Solutions to handle the software aspects of the production. The team developed the experience logic, set up the system logic and built the infrastructure for the LED playback. In addition, they created custom tools that allowed animations, transitions, timings and parameters to be arranged and adjusted directly on site.

The technical foundation for this was a central Unity real-time engine. This approach was crucial to the project. After all, the presentation had to work well not only on screen but also on the physical object in that room under those conditions. That is precisely why Garamantis opted for a system that displayed content directly on the tree and allowed for immediate adjustments.

This allowed the creative team to shape and revise scenes in real time and match them precisely to the music and projection. Transitions between the seasons were refined directly on site, and lighting changes could be evaluated immediately in the space itself. At the same time, the interaction between LEDs and projection remained flexible enough to support last-minute improvements. Technically, this was far more than a convenience. It was a key requirement for achieving a production that felt consistent and convincing as a whole.

The challenges were the enormous scale, the tight deadline and the cold

This project presented significant challenges, and not just because of its scale. The timeframe was tight. At the same time, the production had to be staged in a real, extraordinary setting: the Oberhausen Gasometer is not a neutral test chamber, but a huge industrial monument with long walkways, extensive cabling and specific electromagnetic conditions caused by the steel structure.

Added to this was the time of year. The critical phase of implementation coincided with the coldest weeks of the year. The Garamantis team worked on site for an extended period in temperatures close to freezing. It is precisely with projects like this that it quickly becomes clear whether a system is merely well thought out in theory or whether it actually works under real-world conditions.

Why the real-time approach made all the difference in ‘Mythos Wald’

It is particularly in the case of large, immersive installations that the limitations of a purely pre-rendered approach quickly become apparent. In Oberhausen, scenes had to be developed and adapted directly on site. This involved not only minor adjustments, but the actual development of the production.

All the scenes were created on site and further developed there. The timing could be adjusted live to the music. The projection and LEDs could be spontaneously realigned. The transitions between the seasons were fine-tuned iteratively until they were in perfect harmony in terms of imagery, lighting and rhythm.

This improved both the quality and pace of the project. The creative team was able to make decisions more quickly, as changes were visible immediately. Rehearsals ran more efficiently, as there was virtually no delay between the initial idea and the final result. Furthermore, the production gained in precision, as it was developed under real-world conditions rather than being prepared in the abstract.

Conclusion: Large-scale immersive systems need software, not just content

With the real-time production for the centrepiece of “Mythos Wald”, Garamantis clearly demonstrates where its focus lies. The team does not simply develop media sequences. Garamantis develops Experience Logic and real-time production software that enables large-scale spatial installations to be controlled flexibly and makes them appear compelling as a whole.