Large-scale Projections Light Up 70 Years of Humanitarian Aid

Tonight, President Hollande and world leaders descend on UNESCO’s Paris headquarters in a call for peace.

by Nathaniel Ainley

November 16, 2015, 8:30pm

All photographs © Joshua Brott, courtesy of UNESCO

Today the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization turns 70, and what better way to honor these international humanitarian heroes than a massive live visual projection show? In collaboration with the Li Ka Shing Foundation, Millennium Art, and Obscura Digital, UNESCO will run a large-scale show on the walls of their Paris headquarters, entitled Mosaic of Change. In light of Friday’s terrorist attacks, French President Francois Hollande and other world leaders, including representatives from India, Lithuania, and Bulgaria among others, are convening at the event for the commencement of the projection show in what UNESCO is calling a “united stand for peace, and against violent extremism.”

The video installation tells the story of the organization’s long history, starting with its humble beginnings at the end of the second World War, underlining the principles that laid its foundation, and ending with a finale that envisions a harmonious and peaceful world future. The Mosaic of Change platform was constructed using media from the UN’s extensive archive, some of which has never been shown before, presenting a sort of highlight reel of UNESCO’s brightest moments over the last 70 years and a look at what lies ahead.

The UNESCO projection show employs the same Obscura Digital technology used in illuminating the endangered species projections on the Empire State Building last August. Obscura Digital’s cofounder and CEO, Chris Lejeune says, "Our aim is to use this powerful content to influence minds and inspire positive actions in order to make this world a better place." Over this past weekend, Obscura Digital and the Mosaic of Change team rushed to put together a projection of the word "Peace" that spans the building in all six official languages of the UN.

Following the projection show will be a performance by the World Orchestra for Peace, an ensemble comprised of 40 musicians from 20 countries around the world. The orchestra’s performance will be in dedication to the families of those who lost their lives in the attacks on Friday.

The projections are scheduled for Nov 16, 2015 and is set to run for three nights, closing on the 18th. Parisian locals are invited to watch the show up close on Avenue de Lowendal, while those outside the city can watch the livestream of the show from 8:45-12am Paris time (2:30pm-6pm NYC time), here.

Here's the official highlight video, released by MOC team, of the anniversary show:

Mosaic of Change launch at UNESCO in Paris from Mosaic of Change on Vimeo.