JMP practiced detailed scenic construction in their latest collaboration with the Cal Academy.
When the California Academy of Sciences came to us with a last-minute exhibit request, we knew we were in for a sprint. The exhibit, a traveling installation originally created by the Canadian multimedia company Supply and Demand, needed to be ready fast, and it needed to live up to its reputation as an immersive sensory experience.
Vivid is not your average walk-through display. The exhibit was built to engage the senses; sight, touch, sound, and even smell, pulling visitors into an environment that felt less like a museum hall and more like stepping into another world. What made the original concept so compelling was its central juxtaposition: natural content and forms set directly against digital, technology-driven elements. Imagery of the natural world overlayed with a digital simulation of echolocation. Cross sections of living soil enhanced by narrated video of microscopic soil organisms. And high-resolution imagery of insects surrounded by natural textiles. It is a conversation between the organic and the artificial, and our job was to assist the academy in making sure that the scenic construction enhanced the conversation held in the physical space.
But the Academy didn’t just want to replicate the traveling show; they wanted to put their own stamp on it. So we worked with their team to design and build an entirely new final section, one that took the same natural-versus-digital theme and reimagined it for their audience. This addition features interactive AI-driven animal holograms paired with touchable artifacts pulled straight from the Academy’s own collection. Visitors can run their hands over a real river dolphin skull, then turn and interact with a hologram of a beluga responding to their inquiries.
The technical centerpiece of this new section was a series of dimensional pixel representations surrounding infographics on animal sensory experiences and abilities. Getting the scale, color, and structural support right for these pieces kept our scenic construction shop busy for weeks. Every panel has to hold up under daily public interaction while still reading as seamless and futuristic. Our talented graphics team worked overtime to make the exhibit happen with large silicone-edged-graphics, dimensional lettersets, and vinyl wrapped elements.
Projects like this that blend scenic construction with technology, and natural materials with digital storytelling, are exactly why we love this work. We are proud to be the Academy’s scenic construction partner and look forward to our next project together.
