Obscura Digital is a creative studio located in historic Pier 70 in the Dogpatch District of San Francisco, California.
Combining innovative technology with creative expression, Obscura designs and develops immersive, interactive digital art installations and experiences around the world. Obscura works with Fortune 100 companies, cultural dignitaries, and global foundations to communicate transformative messages using original content for emerging technologies. Obscura specializes in custom video content, large scale interactive displays, architectural installations, kinetic sculpture, stage shows, and projection mapping that turns nearly any surface into a video screen.
Obscura is best known for first-of-its-kind, large-scale projection mapping events on St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican and the Empire State Building in 2015, in conjunction with the film Racing Extinction. The Empire State Building project was named Modern Met's Top 15 Most Remarkable Art Installations and (combined with the Vatican event) achieved 5.4 billion media impressions globally. Other notable events include projecting an 8-minute program entitled "Chrysalis" in the world's largest geodesic projection dome (at 120 feet diameter) for Coachella; projecting real-time election results, maps, images of seminal moments in American history, and photos from the campaign trail on the south façade of the Empire State Building during CNN's 2016 election night coverage; and projecting seminal images from Harper's Bazaar on the north façade of the Empire State Building celebrating Harper's' 150th anniversary.
Other notable work includes permanent installations such as the LiveFX Board at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, the 52-foot RFID-triggered wall at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and the immersive LED wall in the Salesforce office building lobby at 50 Fremont Street in San Francisco.
History Travis Threlkel, Chris Lejeune, Leo Raderman founded the company in July 2000, and assembled a small team to work out of a South of Market warehouse, with Threlkel overseeing creative, technology, Lejeune overseeing Design and Production, and Raderman as Chairman. In 2002, Patrick Connolly joined Obscura as the company's CEO and was instrumental in growing the business in its early years. Threlkel continued as Chief Creative Officer, Chris Lejeune as COO and Raderman as Chairman. In 2009, Chris Lejeune became CEO and together with Travis Threlkel elevated the scale of the company to the World class visionary company Obscura is known as. Chris Lejeune Successfully managed the company through Acquisition by Madison Square Garden Company in November 2017. At the Time of Sale to MSG Obscura employed a team of over 70 artists, technologists, builders, and strategists, working in three main categories: live events, installations, and experimental technologies with tangible prototypes.
Key projects and collaborations
Temporary installations and projection events:
2017 – "Chrysalis" in The Antarctic dome, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017 – Harper's Bazaar 150th Anniversary projections on the Empire State Building 2017 – "Sight Machine" with Trevor Paglen 2016 – CNN Election Night Projections on Empire State Building 2016 – Qasr Al Hosn Festival 2016 – Pier 70 Super Bowl Concert Series featuring Dave Matthews, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run DMC and Snoop Dogg 2016 – Visa Super Bowl Skyline Projections 2016 – #BeAModelMan / Representation Project 2015 – Vatican “Fiat Lux: Illuminating Our Common Home” 2015 – Oceanic Preservation Society “Projecting Change: Empire State Building” 2015 – NASA planetarium shows: International Space Station and Journey to Mars 2015 – UNESCO's 70th Anniversary Celebration 2015 – Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well Concerts 2015 – San Francisco's City Hall Centennial Celebration 2015 – Brandcast US & UK 2015 – YouTube Creators' Summit 2015 – Kuwait Towers: 54th National Day 2014 – IllUmiNations: United Nations People's March 2014 – Tesla Guerilla Projections for Racing Extinction 2014 – AHA! Cleveland 2013 – Exploratorium 2012 – Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque UAE National Day Celebration 2012 – Nike Hyper Elite Platinum Launch 2011 – YouTube Sydney Opera House 2011 – Coca-Cola 125th Anniversary Celebration 2011 – Facebook F8 Connections 2010 – YouTube Play Guggenheim Museum
Permanent installations and interactive walls:
2016 – Salesforce SF headquarters lobby wall 2015 – Shantou University Sports Arena 2015 – Bloomberg San Francisco Tech office: Light Volume 2015 – Dubai 360 Sphere 2015 – UNESCO 70th Celebration Interactive Wall 2014 – AT&T/Dallas Stadium's Live FX Board & Immersive Columns 2014 – College Football Hall of Fame 2014 – Tishman Speyer LUMINA 2013 – Diageo Johnnie Walker 2013 – America's Cup / Flying on Water 2012 – Westfield Illuminique Under the Dome 2012 – San Francisco Public Utilities District 2011 – Yahoo Bus Stop Derby
References