"My team at V Squared Labs and I are always pushing the envelope with existing technology to generate new forms of experiential visual art. The Volcano is our next experimental design integrating lighting, reflection mapping, and sculptural form," says Vello Virkhaus, founder of the Los Angeles-based visual arts studio. The impressive “Volcano” sculpture, which was designed for electronic music dance group Krewella’s current tour, consists of crystal-like structures made out of one- and two-way mirrored acrylic plastic with reflective backing that creates a mapping effect. Each crystal is also equipped with LED elements, resulting in the illusion that the structure is morphing from within.
V Squared Labs teamed up with DJ Dillon Francis to create a new stage show featuring a unique Frank Gehry-inspired structure. The empty spaces within the 3-D video DJ booth are lined with a highly reflective mirrored vinyl to bounce video out into the audience, creating an almost psychedelic effect. Virkhaus describes his team’s colorful, twisted work as "Jeff Koons meets Atari 8-bit on a slice of pizza."
Bennett describes his stage design for Nine Inch Nails’s recent shows as “an advanced version of the Lights in the Sky tour,” referring to the band’s 2008 tour, which featured transparent screens and light structures. As the band’s longtime lighting designer, Bennett upgraded the technology this time around, adding a custom-built LED screen developed by video production company Nocturne. In addition to the tour stage, Bennett also created a roadworthy version for the band’s festival appearances—one that was ground-supported and didn’t rely on on-site production restrictions. The concept was based on the Talking Heads movie Stop Making Sense. “You start with an empty stage and build from there through many reveals and dynamics, then into a full-blown rock show.”
