In October 2024, downtown Cincinnati transformed as scores of semi-trucks rolled in, unloading cases of equipment across thirty city blocks spanning three cities: Cincinnati, Newport, and Covington. Before over two million festival attendees descended on BLINK—the largest lighted art festival in the United States—production and art teams faced a monumental load-in to bring this one-of-a-kind walking event to life.

Over four days, visitors explored a dazzling array of light projections, immersive installations, newly painted murals, interactive activations, and live music performances, all designed to showcase the region in a new light.

Over 80 artists - both local and international - contributed to BLINK 2024, creating large-scale murals and projection-mapped art that captivated attendees after sunset. The festival featured 30 projection-mapped art installations spread across six zones, with standout commissions from some of today’s most impressive artists. The event kicked off with a vibrant parade, featuring illuminated costumes, lighted props, puppets, and luminous sculptures—a celebration of community and creativity.

Months before the trucks arrived, planning was already underway. Teams from Cincinnati’s Regional Chamber, 4Wall Entertainment, and the PIXERA team at AV Stumpfl collaborated to align the artistic vision with the technical backbone of several key projection installations.

Among the 30 projection-mapped sites, four were powered by PIXERA media servers: including the iconic American Building, a 1928 Art Deco gem with 42 luxury condos across 18 stories. A collaboration between artists Northouse and Betty Mü transformed into a canvas for projection mapping.

On top of that, Squid Licker on Liberty Street (created by artist Lauren Ys), Interactive Stage on Court Street (designed by artist Brett Bolton), and Thompson House in Newport, KY (crafted by artist Hotaru).
 
“PIXERA was a huge help in BLINK's pre-visualization and planning process,” said Justin Brookhart, Senior Vice President for Cultural Economy and Executive Director of BLINK. “Its intuitive interface and tools made it easy to streamline our workflow. Being able to visualize complex setups in advance saved us a lot of time and resources.”

4Wall: Preproduction and Programming
Given the scale and geographic spread of the festival’s subsystems, 4Wall opted for a VNC connection for remote access rather than a centralized PIXERA director server. By networking all render servers, their team achieved seamless remote monitoring and control of projection playback operations. The deployment included:

• (4) PIXERA four RS servers
• (2) PIXERA two RS servers
• (4) PIXERA mini servers
• 30 Pepwave MaxTransit mobile routers
• Cameras and Bitfocus Companion control software
• Secure VPN access for real-time remote adjustments
• Data Activation Center (DAC) support for network reliability and on-site SIM card replacements

This infrastructure minimized on-site troubleshooting, ensuring operational efficiency across the festival’s sprawling footprint. “4Wall deployed a full spectrum of PIXERA products on BLINK,” said Ben Nicholson, BLINK Creative Technical Producer. “As a creative technical producer, I am happy to say each product excelled in reliability and ease of calibration. Additionally, their support for the various projection mapping and playback sites across the festival was incredible. I am personally very excited about where PIXERA products and the company are going.”

Collaboration with AV Stumpfl and PIXERA Support
The PIXERA Support team played a pivotal role in the festival’s success. “Working with the PIXERA Support team was a great experience,” Brookhart noted. “They were quick to respond and always ahead of the game, providing solutions and support. Their expertise and commitment to keeping everything running smoothly gave us the confidence to take things to the next level.”

AV Stumpfl’s broader involvement elevated the event beyond technical execution. “AV Stumpfl's smooth integration of their solutions into the event, combined with their professionalism and creativity, made the festival stand out,” Brookhart added. “It created an unforgettable experience that left a lasting impact on everyone involved.”

A Lasting Impression
Over the four evenings of BLINK Cincinnati 2024, this rare blend of art and technology wowed over two million attendees, solidifying the festival’s reputation as a premier cultural event in the region. From the pre-visualization phase to the final projection, the collaboration between artists, technical teams, and innovative tools like PIXERA illuminated Cincinnati in ways that will resonate for years to come.