Have you ever fantasized about being transformed into an anime character, even being the star of an exhibition, launching a follow-your-dream adventure? As of August 1st it has all become possible – just head to Taipei Expo Park’s Action@Pavilion of Dreams (花博公园行动梦想馆), where you’ll find that, as incredible as it may seem, all you need is a smartphone.
The Action@Pavilion of Dreams, originally built for the Taipei International Flora Exposition (花博会), dazzled expo visitors with its high-tech video, sound, and light and interactive sensor technology. The pavilion in its new form is the result of a collaborative effort by the eminent Taiwan enterprises Asus (华硕计算机), Hon Hai/Foxconn Technology Group (鸿海集团), and Epson (台湾爱普生). They have created the country’s first mobilized intelligent pavilion. Using the dedicated smartphone, the Dream Time Machine (梦想时光仪), visitors become heroes and heroines of A Dream Journey in Taipei (台北奇幻之旅). Proceeding in tandem with the storyline, the Dream Time Machine becomes a multimedia fluorescent stick with multiple functions.
In the Grand Hall: the Island of Dreams (序厅:梦想之岛), you are invited to follow a small dewdrop of legend harboring a grand dream of becoming a rainbow and soar toward places unknown. Dozens of 60-inch large-screen LCD monitors have been joined together in the expansive exhibition space to create Dream Pillars (梦想之柱), which are harmonized with peripheral mirrors to create a kaleidoscopic 3D viewing space. The imagery of the various pillars can be intertwined, presenting little dewdrop’s dream adventure with striking visuals.
In Gallery One: the Square of Aspiration (一厅:志向广场), you’ll find a city crafted from dreams – in which another you lives, striving to fulfill your childhood dreams! Via The Dream Time Machine’s augmented reality (AR) technology, you see yourself in anime form, and can walk in amongst your piled-up dreams and aspirations, which are transformed into words with light sculpture. Wishes of all sorts float through the streets, creating a wonderfully touching ambience.
Step into Gallery Two: the Hall of Cooperation (二厅:合作殿堂) and surround yourself with a crystal palace with an air of mystery, a resplendent crystal thicket at its center. Under the guidance of a crystal fairy, visitors must cooperate to carry out a special task. Using the Dream Time Machine, which automatically transforms into a multimedia fluorescent stick, you put on a dream play together, which unlocks the crystal’s hundred-year seal and enables you to move on to the next station.
In Gallery Three: the Station of Courage (三厅:勇气能量站) is a 360° circular-screen theater, operated in cooperation with the Taipei City Government’s YouBike public bike-rental program. Visitors form teams and head out on cycling adventures. On the giant screen are images of magical realism, integrating Taipei’s iconic city images with majestic rice paddy, mountain, and ocean landscapes. The gallery is also outfitted with high-tech special-effects equipment that simulates strong winds, lightning, and a range of scents, immersing you in a lifelike environment.
The destination of your journey is Gallery Four: the Terminal of Action (四厅:行动航站), where you take flight amidst the sound of 100 children expressing their dreams, traveling to a brand-new tomorrow. The gallery has been built to look like the cabin of a spaceship with a “space floating machine” (浮空机台) in it. After using The Dream Time machine to transmit the details of your adventure to the past, you print out your exclusive boarding pass, embarking on the flight of your choice and heading out on a new voyage. Which surprise celebrity will accompany you on your journey to the future? There’s only one way to find out – you have to come in person to explore the Action@Pavilion of Dreams.
Your journey may be ended, but the fun is not over yet. In the Theater Hall: the Music Box of Dreams (剧厅:梦想音乐盒), enjoy the music of the “unmanned band” (无人大乐队) that gives voice to the sound of dreams – a suite composed by well-known Taiwan musician Chen Chien Chi (陈建骐) played with automated xylophones, drums, and guitars.
Information
A Dream Journey in Taipei: Action@Pavilion of Dreams
台北奇幻之旅:行动@梦想馆
Time: Until 2014/8/31; 09:00~17:00,
Sat/Sun to 20:00 (closed Mon)
Venue: Xinsheng Park Area, Taipei Expo Park (花博公园新生园区)
Add: 6, Binjiang St. (滨江街6号)
Tel: (02)2182-8886
Website: www.taipei-expopark.tw