Video Projections Bring Life Stories to the National Museum of Italian Emigration in Genoa

At the National Museum of Italian Emigration (MEI), housed within the ancient walls of the Commenda di San Giovanni di Prè, visitors are immersed in the emotional journey of Italian emigration. This transformative experience is made possible through intricate edge blending and mapping video projections, powered by Panasonic projectors.

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Challenge

To design a fully multimedia museum within a protected 12th-century building while avoiding the use of physical scenography.

Solution

By utilizing advanced video projection technology, the museum brings to life the stories of emigrants in an engaging and deeply emotional way.

A Meeting of History and Innovation

The medieval Commenda di San Giovanni di Prè, located in the heart of Genoa, provides the setting for the MEI. The museum's design and management are led by Mu.Ma – Institution of Sea and Migration Museums, which also oversees the nearby Galata Museum of the Sea. The multimedia aspects were entrusted to ETT Solutions, a Genoa-based system integrator. To achieve the desired effect, ETT relied on Panasonic’s extensive range of state-of-the-art projectors.

The Challenge: Telling Life Stories Through Video Projections

"Our most significant challenge was designing a fully multimedia museum within the confines of a protected 12th-century building. Instead of presenting visitors with the typical artifacts encased in glass, we wanted to narrate the lives of emigrants in a way that would resonate emotionally and foster empathy. With physical scenography off the table, we relied entirely on the immersive power of sound and visual storytelling, brought to life through video projection."

The Solution: A Blend of Curatorial Vision, Technical Expertise, and Panasonic's Versatile Catalog for an Immersive Experience

Let us step inside the medieval walls of the Commenda di San Giovanni di Prè, where we are guided by Director Campodonico through the exhibition choices, and by Matteo Ventrella and Maria Oddo—CTO and Project Manager at ETT Solutions—who were responsible for the integration and selection of the Panasonic projectors used in the installation.

"One of the most striking emotional moments occurs shortly after entering the museum: within a large window of the Commenda, a projection of an 19th-century painting by Angiolo Tommasi, depicting scenes of port life, is displayed. As we approach and activate the installation with our NFC bracelet, the painting dissolves to reveal the figure of an elderly migrant, who speaks directly to us, inviting us to begin the journey. At the same time, the door on the adjacent wall opens: the video projection gradually follows the movement of the door, expanding across the entire surface and onto the platform. The videos showcase the dreams and hopes of those who left."

For the projection on the window and door, the Panasonic PT-RZ690BEJ with an ET-DLE060 lens was selected, while the projection onto the platform was achieved using a PT-MZ780 with an ET-ELW21 lens. "The colour accuracy of Panasonic projectors," says the system integrator, "enabled us to deliver crisp, clear images even on irregular surfaces, such as the original, metal-studded door of the Commenda and the wooden platform. The ultra-short throw lenses and the projectors' shift capabilities also allowed us to place the machines closer to the projection surface, ensuring that visitors' shadows would not interfere with the image."

Ultra-Short Throw Lenses and Projector Brightness Enhancing the Museum Experience

One of the most popular, yet complex areas of the museum, both in terms of visitor engagement and integration, is the section titled "Myths, Dreams, and Propaganda." Upon entering, visitors are immediately immersed in a projected historical scene on the wall before them: actors in period costumes inside an early 20th-century tavern. Among them is a 'Mericano (a wealthy emigrant) sharing tales of America's wonders. His narrative is accompanied by historical images, artfully processed to create a dreamlike effect, which appear on the ceiling and gradually vanish as though being drawn into an ancient chimney, seamlessly blending multimedia storytelling with the medieval architecture.

"To project the tavern scene onto the wall,” explains Ventrella, “we selected the Panasonic PT-RZ690BEJ with an ET-DLE020 lens. To prevent visitors from casting shadows on the wall, we placed the projector beneath the platform at the center of the room, making full use of the ultra-short throw lens. The dreamlike image projections, in contrast, were created using a Panasonic PT-MZ780 with an ET-ELW21 lens. Although the room is dimly lit, it’s not completely dark, and yet the images remain sharp and clear, thanks to the brightness of the projectors we chose."

From 360° Blending to Interactive Mapping

One of the most challenging tasks for the integrator, as explained by Maria Oddo, was the "Emigration and Politics" room:
"It involved creating a 360° circular projection on a six-meter diameter black cloth. This projection presents the viewpoints of twelve Italian politicians on emigration policies, blending images of actors in period costumes with projections of documents and texts that progressively envelop the visitor. The texts, in particular, required flawless blending, which the Panasonic projectors allowed us to achieve."
The room was outfitted with six Panasonic PT-RZ690BEJ projectors, each paired with ET-DLE020 lenses.

The museum experience concludes with an installation encouraging visitors to share their feedback.
"This is a mapped video projection," explains Matteo Ventrella of ETT, "set against the ancient walls of the Commenda. Using a touchscreen interface, visitors can select images and words that encapsulate their experience and opinions. This combination of images and text forms a virtual postcard, projected onto the living stones of the Commenda. The postcard then comes to life, folds, and ultimately sinks into an ampoule nestled in one of the building's niches. This projection is carried out with a Panasonic PT-VMZ60, which envelops three of the building's ancient niches, while simultaneously, a Panasonic PT-VMZ50 projects a looping sequence of evocative images onto a tripolina surface."

"The system integrator accomplished a true miracle, considering the challenges posed by the historic location and the extremely tight deadlines. The professionalism and precision of the ETT technicians, along with the quality of the projectors they chose, were outstanding."

Video Projections Bring Life Stories to the National Museum of Italian Emigration in Genoa

Challenge

Solution

A Meeting of History and Innovation

The Challenge: Telling Life Stories Through Video Projections

The Solution: A Blend of Curatorial Vision, Technical Expertise, and Panasonic's Versatile Catalog for an Immersive Experience

Ultra-Short Throw Lenses and Projector Brightness Enhancing the Museum Experience

From 360° Blending to Interactive Mapping

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