vio zhu
New York - Tokyo
Creative Technology
- VR | VJ | Architecture Projection Mapping | Interactive Installation -
Email
@vio.zhu
ITP Blog
Collaborated with
musician / artists -
DJ Rebolledo, ASUKA, YY, HACOIRI, Kylie
Manami Sakamoto, Demsky
Brand Collaboration
France -
Palais des Beaux Arts
Lille
NYC, United States -
Artechouse NYC, The End Bushwick,
New York Academy of Science
Tokyo, Japan -
Public Visuals, LVMH Tokyo Summit,
Querico Tokyo, WOMB, HVEN,
Mitsuki, Circus
Continuum : Architecture Projection Mapping @ Lille Palace of Fine Arts Apr 2025
Performance, Visual Arts
Credit
Visual design and development: Vio Zhu
Music: Demsky
Projection mapping setup: Video Mapping Festival team
Continuum is an audio-reactive architecture projection mapping performance on the Lille Palace of Fine Arts facade, for Video Mapping Festival 2025 in Lille, France. The projection transforms the building into a dynamic, audio-reactive canvas, using light and visual storytelling to evoke wonder and aesthetic pleasure—almost like stepping into a real-life Disney ride to the general public. The building’s architecture structure becomes an instrument in itself, responding to the rhythm and emotion of the music. The performance features custom visuals that deconstruct and reconstruct the palace in rhythm with the audio, creating a narrative arc with visual climaxes and subtle moments of surprise.
Technical Details
- Software: TouchDesigner, Unreal Engine, Blender, After Effect, Adobe Premiere Pro
- Techniques: Audio-reactive generative design, 3D animation, projection mapping, narrative timing
- Hardware: High-lumen projectors, media server, projection tower set up (done by Video Mapping Festival organizing team).
I used TouchDesigner to generate interactive structures, mapping architectural elements to musical beats. Unreal Engine was used to design lighting effects and simulate physical transformations of the building, while Blender supported the creation of custom 3D assets. Adobe Premiere was used to composite and synchronize the visuals into a cohesive piece. The result is an immersive visual story that lives and breathes with the audio, constantly shifting between anticipation and resolution to hold the audience’s attention.
Research/Context
My creative direction was shaped by extensive research into architectural projection mapping and audio-visual storytelling. After reviewing lots of architecture projection pieces for different occasions, I was particularly influenced by Joanie Lemercier’s early interactive projection work and Moment Factory’s projection piece on the Reims Cathedral. Their ability to blend architecture, light, and sound into emotionally moving experiences inspired me to explore how buildings can become narrative agents.
Joanie Lemercier > Projects
https://joanielemercier.com/projects/
Moment Factory > REGALIA à la cathédrale de Reims
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0amBLPVG6oA
I studied pacing in large-scale animation—specifically how speed and timing affect perception and emotional engagement. I analyzed different storytelling models, from linear narrative arcs to multi-climax structures, to experiment with audience anticipation and surprise. I also researched architectural acoustics and visual rhythm to synchronize visuals with audio in a way that feels intuitive yet unexpected.
At the early stage of implementation, I also made an Unreal Engine VR projection mapping tool to help me feel the animation at scale and how lighting around the architecture can change the visibility of the performance.
Throughout development, I spoke with projection mapping artists such as Baptiste Lassaigne, Louise Lessel and Todd Bryant on a weekly bases to gather feedback on how to maintain consistency in visual language while also keeping the performance dynamic and fresh. This iterative process helped me refine how and when to present climax visuals to make the experience both immersive and emotionally impactful.