After a memorable presentation at the Cannes Film Festival and a successful run at the BFI London Film Festival and Warsaw Film Festival, MURALS in November landed at the GIFF in Geneva, where it took part in the International Immersive Experience Competition and strongly impressed the audience of a festival renowned for its openness to different narrative forms and its focus on unconventional perspectives on the world.
Directed by Artem Ivanenko, Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro and supported by several countries, including Ukraine, Poland and the United States, Murals is more than a work of art: it is an immersive production that, through an original language, wants to remember the suffering of a country, with the mission to keep alive within us the rejection of an unjust war that is afflicting our borders and the lives of many.
We discussed the piece with its producer Maciej Zemojcin (PixelRace) and this is what he told us.
War in raw 3D: The true digital tale of Ukraine’s resilience in MURALS
MACIEJ ŻEMOJCIN – The war in Ukraine continues. MURALS is our message to the world, a reminder of our obligation to help Ukraine in the fight for a better tomorrow. In its form, it’s an immersive visual experience that uses cutting-edge 3D scanning to place viewers face to face with the war devastation in Ukraine. This not-for-profit art project follows 3D captures of Banksy’s artwork left on the rubble of people’s homes, schools, and infrastructure. Out of 7 artworks, only 4 exist in an unchanged but degraded form. We have created the only existing digital copies of these art pieces. The mission of MURALS is not only to show these works of art, but above all to spread the message about Ukraine.
Immersed in a time and space of war
M. Z. – Murals was produced through the collaboration of multiple countries: Ukraine, Poland, Spain, the USA, and Estonia. The creation of this work generated incredible energy, which bolsters my confidence in the importance of this project. It all began with Artem Ivanenko, a 3D scanning artist, and me. We had been working on advertising projects together for a few years before the war began. Artem, who specialized in post-production and animation, is originally from Irpin. Bucha has unfortunately become as world-famous as Irpin itself due to the Russian invasion. Fortunately, Artem managed to escape and was among the first group allowed to return home after Russians were pushed back. It was then that he started creating his first 3D scans to document the reality.
The initial scans were of destroyed Russian tanks. We discussed the possibility of creating a story around these high-quality scans, which, despite their clarity, didn’t stand out amidst the war-focused media. However, we were unsure how to proceed. The challenge was that a tank, as an object, often evokes associations with video games and action films; they aren’t particularly unique or extraordinary from this perspective.
We realized that we needed to find the right approach to effectively communicate our message. The question was, how could we make people understand the reality of living in those war-torn areas? How could we convey that a mere two-hour flight and five-hour drive from the GIFF in Geneva lands you in a war zone? We wanted to challenge the natural tendency to distance oneself from the horrors of war and, instead, bring people closer to understanding what war truly means. The challenge was significant; people generally don’t want to confront such frightening realities, so we needed to find a way to persuade them to do so.
Finding the right language: the power of Art
M. Z. – It was then that Radosława Bardes, European producer from ATM Virtual Warsaw, suggested scanning Banksy’s works that were painted around Kiev in November 2022. This idea allowed us to shift our narrative approach. Instead of focusing on the brutality and war imagery – a language that’s become all too common in news and thus less impactful – we turned to art. People might not be interested in another tank they just saw on the news, but they might be curious about unseen works by a famous artist. From this perspective, MURALS acts as a sort of ‘beneficial trap’ for the audience. Viewers are initially drawn in by the allure of Banksy, but MURALS goes beyond that, using these images to tell a more crucial story about Ukraine and the events that unfolded there.
Art Scans in a War Zone
M. Z. – We created 3D scans of Banksy’s murals and their locations. Currently, only four remain, which we anticipated since they were created on rubble, inherent to the nature of murals, and we knew they might be removed with the debris. The first to vanish was the woman in the mask, followed by the person in the bathtub and the dancer. New constructions at these sites necessitated the removal and relocation of these artworks. Our scans, therefore, represent the sole digital copies of the original works in their initial settings.
Artem conducted these scans when the area was less guarded. Each scan comprised thousands of pictures, necessitating a lengthy, precise process to ensure each image was perfectly focused. The challenge was compounded by the need to maneuver the equipment over rubble, rather than flat ground.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture has taken the patronage of our project, but as of now, the work has not been officially exhibited in Ukraine. This is understandable, as Ukrainians are living through these experiences every day; they already know the reality of their situation. The aim of MURALS is rather to communicate with the rest of the world, to share this experience and perspective with those who are not living it daily.
MURALS: more than art, a human mission
M. Z. – Our team is extraordinary, both in their professional skills and human qualities. Two of our directors, hailing from the US with Israeli origins, faced challenges addressing these issues, especially given the current international context. Radosława had previously worked with them and knew of their deep involvement in the situation and their efforts to help the Ukrainian people. Those of us from Poland also felt a strong connection, as our country was immediately impacted by the war, offering shelter to those fleeing the conflict without the need for refugee camps. In essence, everyone involved in MURALS felt a personal connection to the situation even before the project began.
Radosława herself, along with friends, went to the border to distribute free food. We brought equipment and vehicles there… And people are still doing this today, as the war continues and Ukraine is fighting not just for itself, but in a way, for all of Europe! That’s why I believe it’s crucial to share this work widely: people are beginning to forget that the war is still ongoing, and news coverage about it is diminishing.
It was crucial for us that everyone involved in MURALS worked pro bono. During Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival a year ago I showed the 3D scans (scans taken during a blackout in Kiyv) and Artem’s recording to Sten Saluver, head of Cannes Next, and he immediately became part of the project. When Cannes decided to present MURALS as a world industry premiere, we had to produce the work in just two months! Everyone worked voluntarily. This demonstrates the deep emotional and human commitment of our team. Without such involvement, why else would they participate in such a demanding endeavor?
I think the reason is that MURALS isn’t just a product. It’s not merely an artwork; it is a mission, a message. While it’s wonderful to witness the beauty art can convey, in this case our work wasn’t driven by art alone, but by something different within us that compelled us to act. We recognized that this project was truly a mission for us, and as such, we have continued to pursue it until now.
The experience at the Festival de Cannes
M. Z. – In Cannes, we truly grasped the impact of our work. We set up a small cinema for six to eight people with a large screen, offering an immersive experience, no headsets, just a front-row feeling. This approach stems from our background in virtual production and technology for visual storytelling. The response was profound; people left the cinema in tears, deeply moved by MURALS and the stories it conveyed. After dedicating two intense months to this project, we had somewhat detached ourselves, but that experience allowed us to see our work in a new light.
Our experience in Cannes was unique compared to everything else there. We were in the main palace of the Marché du Film, where companies trade various things like locations, films, and ideas. Often, people would ask what we were selling, and we had to explain that we weren’t selling anything; we were there to deliver an important message, hoping they would listen.
Speaking of Cannes, I must highlight the crucial support from the Polish Film Institute and its director Radoslaw Smigulski. The special grant for Polish-Ukrainian initiatives was an invaluable and fundamental aid and it also allowed us to join the festival.
Evolutions of MURALS, from the past to the future
M. Z. – Initially, MURALS was just a 3D digital sculpture showcasing Banksy’s works. However, we had doubts about its effectiveness. Without understanding the context of the sculpture or being particularly interested in this art form, even the most exquisite exhibition can seem somewhat dull.
We recognized the need to emotionally engage our audience. The challenge was to explain these ‘sculptures’ and make people understand that the rubble itself was a form of sculpture worthy of their attention. The solutions to these questions emerged through the collaboration of many, including the Ukraine team responsible for recording the voices of the protagonists. Another key contributor was art director Federico Gonzalez Montoya from Spain, who, along with Tigrelab, managed the post-production. We also had Bart Putkiewicz for sound design, an industry award-winner who generously contributed his expertise pro bono, creating numerous versions of the project.
We are currently planning a sequel for MURALS, as it feels important to continue its journey, especially since the war is still ongoing. Initially, we utilized photogrammetry for depth measurement in our images. Now, we are transitioning to more advanced technologies like Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) and Gaussian splatting. These techniques involve training a neural network on a series of images. By providing a view of an object, the network learns to predict how the object would appear from different perspectives.
Using these cutting-edge technologies, combined with Gaussian splatting, we’ve developed an emotionally impactful 6DOF (six degrees of freedom) experience. With a headset, users can walk around these murals, and the effect is truly remarkable. I was even taken aback during my first encounter with it, due to the intense digital realism these technologies provide. It doesn’t feel like you’re in a video game; rather, it feels as if you’re actually there, in the exact place that was photographed.
For now, we’ve only showcased this advanced version at the Picture This conference of the National Film School of Denmark in Copenhagen. The technology requires a very powerful computer and isn’t suited for standalone devices yet. However, we’re in discussions with some festivals to potentially collaborate and offer their audience the chance to experience being in those places for a couple of minutes. We still need to fine-tune some sound and image details, but that’s the direction we’re aiming to take in the coming months!
MURALS is an immersive production by Artem Ivanenko, Alex Topaller and Daniel Shapiro, produced by ATM Virtual, Mriya, PixelRace, Aggressive and Tigrelab.
For more information, visit the official website and don’t forget to support MURALS’ mission by following their initiatives and updates on the work’s Instagram page.
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