Culture, nation and technology : immersive media and the Saudi Arabia pavilion

World's fairs have frequently showcased new communication technologies as a way of foreshadowing the media inventions of the future. RCA introduced television to the American public at the 1939 New York World's Fair, and many new media projection forms were introduced at Expo '67 in Montreal (e.g. the National Film Board of Canada's (NFBC) large multiscreen film, Labyrinth, as well as 70 mm cinema). In Shanghai, the interest in immersive media projection was featured most emphatically in the Saudi Arabia pavilion, through a work developed by the media company SkyScan. A film of fifteen minutes was presented through a sophisticated series of crossing projectors in a large domed theatre. As a consequence of architectural irregularities, the projection adapted to uneven surfaces and projected on both sides of a moving walkway, as well on the floor beneath and roof above. From a content management perspective, the work was designed to have 'primary' impact on the viewer through sound and images, with minimal direct address being made though text/voice-overs or character-led stories. Notably, the film reflects Saudi sentiments for a relatively conservative presentation and religious messages.