“The light of the Itza” Multimedia Presentation
The project aims to provide the viewer with a memorable experience through conceptual, artistic, and technological integration.
In Edzná, the buildings appear to exude light and act in synergy with the narrative and the dances of the shadows and lights, thus exalting people’s senses. The access to the archaeological site had an important transformation in its route creating quite an experience for the visitor. This transformation consists in the deviation of the path; nowadays it makes for a better understanding of the space since at the end of the tour we are greeted by the remarkable 5-story building that preserves the architectural crowning of its majestic cresting: seven rays of sunlight filter through it, a number that represents a blessing in the cosmovision of the Mayan culture.
Edzná during the day
Photography: Roberto Cárdenas
The presentation involves the viewer from the moment he/she walks along the access path across the Mayan jungle through a multisensory experience that consists of different resources: 1.- Enjoying a walk during the night in a jungle with little lighting.
2.- Sounds coming from real animals, birds, crickets, cicadas, tecolotes (owls) that have a special meaning among the Mesoamerican cultures, and the roar of a Balam (jaguar in Mayan), which makes them group together and continue the trail in expectation while they listen to the Mayan language.
3.- They perceive the smell of copal, incense used by the Mayas during their religious ceremonies, and begin to imagine that something is about to happen. During the tour they perceive different changes of textures on the floor so all five senses send information to the visitor’s mind, making him/her receptive.
Conceptual Illustration
Photography: 333 Luxes
During the presentation, the buildings and foundations of the Edzná archaeological complex change color to match the narration and music through the computer-assisted programming, giving the site a new life after 2,550 years, as Edzná dates back to 600 B.C.
An important scene is the re-emergence of “Kinich Ahau”, the solar deity of the Maya, recreated by a concentrated beam emerging from the background with 1200 Watt and 6000 Kelvin projectors that burst into the night sky filtering through the ridge of the 5-story building.
Archaeological site map
Photography: 333 Luxes
Edzná at night
Photography: Leo Espinosa
The relevance of the project required the participation and teamwork of archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, architects, artists and engineers, as well as the use of state-of- the-art technology, such as HB LEDs lighting fixtures, which do not emit ultraviolet or infrared rays, so that they do not affect the Mayan buildings.
Visit: www.333luxes.com
