Kilcarrick Travel
Kilcarrick Travel was Dan Powell's Major Project with the Carmarthen School of Art -ColegSirGar. The premise was to take a space and convince viewers that they have been physically transported somewhere completely different than where they once more. The outcome ended up as an exhibition space designed as a futuristic airport that teleports passengers to exotic, alien destinations.
Concept
The concept is taking a space and designing it to make the viewer feel as if they have just walked into somewhere completely different than where they were. In this case transforming a classroom in the Carmarthen School of Art into a futuristic airport longue.
The idea evolved into using VR elements to take the idea of teleporting the viewer that step further. Using the idea of an airport to sell the idea of going on holiday to a completely new destination, which they travel to using a VR headset.
Room Progression
The space went through a process of layout designs and iterations from only taking up half the room, to exploring how the entire room could be used to exploring different ways of using the temperory wall and introducing doorways.
The style of the room went through a myriad of changes as it was designed to fit the aethetic of an airport. This entailed designing fabricated branding for the airline which included concept art of airplane decals, uniform options and even a mascot character.
Environment Development
Each illustration explores a potential environment concept which would be explored in 3D and they all vastly differ from one another from being sent back in time, to a alien zoo, to a city made from cheese, an elevator that takes you to different planets on each floor or just being stuck under a glass being attacked by a pigeon. Each illustration was a possibility.
The pieces explore his development process taking the environment possibilities and playing around with different elements, additions and colours to evolve them into something further and more realised. Partaking in colour studies and photobashes of a potential final environment.
Exhibition Set Up
Temporary walls set up with plywood and 2x4's. A support lay across the top as to provide more stability.
To avoid imperfections gum tape was spread of the seams and screwholes, keeping the face of the wall flush.
Base coats of white primer were soaked up into the wood requiring the entire space to have 4-5 licks of paint.
A corporate blue skirting was painted on using masking tape to ensure its shape.
End Result
After months of design and redesign and redesign again, we achieved the project goal of having viewers step into the space and say 'wow, where have I just walked into'. A number of elements are the reason for this. The abundance of disciplines used for this project from concept art, digital illustration, motion graphics and 3D environment construction.
The room was transformed. The printed drops hung on the walls gave the impression of a window looking out onto the Kilcarrick Travel airliner. The monitors within the space reading out boarding gate numbers and depature times. A tourism reel playing throughout giving viewers a teaser of what to expect as they turn the corner and place the 'galactic teleportation helment' on their head and see themselves transported to a world beyond.
Kilcarrick.com
