Pixel Artworks and WrightTech Media create stunning immersive show in Gibraltar
Pixel Artworks, creator of magical immersive experiences since 2005, has taken on one of its biggest challenges to date – to boost tourism to Gibraltar. Working with local partners WrightTech Media, the company has designed an epic transformation of St. Michael’s Cave with a fusion of the latest immersive technologies.
The attraction is scheduled to open on 19 June 2021, a timely addition to the tourism industry as Gibraltar is one of the few accessible destinations on the UK’s ‘green list’ for travel this summer.
The show, entitled ‘The Awakening’, sympathetically showcases the beauty of St. Michael’s Cave while uncovering the layers of Gibraltar’s history fused within the rock, using a 360° light projection spectacular with immersive audio to recount an awe-inspiring story of geological formation. The result is a stunning display that is expected to receive global acclaim.
The famous wild monkey troops of Barbary Macaques that roam freely around the Upper Rock nature reserve will also be able to enjoy the show, though Pixel Artworks has taken measures to ensure the AV equipment is fully protected against curious primate fingers and teeth.
After a rocky year for tourism, the installation is designed to enhance the current Upper Rock Nature Reserve visitor experience, and is intended to accelerate Gibraltar tourism numbers back to pre-Covid levels and beyond.
Riaz Farooq, creative director, Pixel Artworks, said, “This project presented a fantastic opportunity to meld WrightTech Media’s local expertise with our 15 years of artistic and technical experience, to bring new life and new audiences to an incredible canvas.”
Prof John Cortes MBE, Minister for Education & Culture, the Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change, Heritage and Public Health, who inspired the initiative and whose wish is to improve the way the Cave is experienced, said, “I can remember the first time I walked into St. Michael’s Cave at the age of eight and the feeling of awe that it provoked. This cavern has made a constant contribution to the appreciation of Gibraltar’s Heritage and Culture; it is such a magnificent space that I have always felt that it needed something more. With the development and growth of mapping technology it became clear that the time was right to push the boundaries. This new experience does justice to the beauty and the heritage and will inspire all who feel it.”
Christian Wright, director, WrightTech Media, added, “Pixel Artworks has created something so beautiful that builds on the cave’s innate majesty and allows it to compete with any international tourist attraction of its kind. I’m incredibly proud of our collaboration that will showcase Gibraltar’s ancient past to a global audience, and also excited by the opportunities it opens in areas such as education to bring Gibraltar’s rich history to the fore.”
