Sculpted fabric screen gives Guggenheim a new feel

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum became the spinning center of the New York cultural elite in December 2009, as the next generation of art collectors (the Young Collectors Council, or YCC) hosted its annual Artist’s Ball. The museum, designed by architectural legend Frank Lloyd Wright, features an atrium that forms a sweeping helix shape, but the event needed a more intimate space for the artists, musicians, celebrities and collectors attending to see and be seen. Pink Inc., New York, N.Y., designed and installed a shapely solution—a site-specific sculptured projection screen made of lightweight stretch fabric.

Pink Inc. used 3D computer-assisted design expertise to complement Wright’s architecture with a curved surface that created a lounge atmosphere and cozier spaces. The museum’s strict guidelines for rigging led Pink Inc. to choose custom-fitted temporary brackets, over which the fabric fit smoothly. The Pink Inc. team completed installation in 45 minutes. Changing light applied to the fabric shifted guests’ visual attention from the spiral layering to the ceiling to the sky. The projection screen became scrim when the architecture became the focus of the moving light. Sensual nudes taken by photographer Ryan McGinley, the night’s honoree, were projected on the curving walls. “It’s all rather overwhelming,” McGinley was quoted by Style.com, “I feel like it’s my wedding night.” For more information, see Pink Inc..