EXP LAB public art installation
Celebrating the FIFA World Cup through technology-infused public art installations that connect sustainable ecologies, student-made digital media, projection mapping, and synchronized architectural light.
Two connected public experiences
As part of Rice's FIFA World Cup 2026 Sustainable Ecologies Projects, the EXP LAB designed two digital-physical art installations. These pieces pair student-authored media with distributed display/lighting systems, translating ecological themes into public-facing light, motion, and color across soccer ball portals at Rice's front gate and revolving light shows at the Lovett Hall Sallyport.
Projection Installation Portals
As visitors pass by Rice's front entrance gates they're greeted by soccer ball canvases to get into the FIFA World Cup spirit. At night, these balls transform into rich digital displays of student artwork, illuminating Rice and Houston's connection to its broader ecology.
The EXP LAB held a competition for Rice students to submit artwork around themes of sustainability, ecology, and the FIFA World Cup themes. The animated artworks were designed to flow continuously across the entrance, creating a dynamic visual experience that unifies the four portals into a single storytelling canvas. The submission portal also hosted a previsualization tool using "3D Gaussian Splat" rendering to allow artists to imagine how their artwork would land on the soccer ball canvases.
Lovett Hall Sallyport Light Show
A FIFA-themed audiovisual lightshow meets visitors passing under the Sallyport archway at Lovett Hall. Crowd cheers, stadium sounds, and synchronized spotlights fill the walkway with the energy of a World Cup match. Rather than concealing the building, the lighting emphasizes its architecture. A soccer-ball spotlight moves across the facade and activates illuminated windows, suggesting passes, shots, and goals.
The EXP Lab 3D-scanned the site and created a virtual simulation for programming the lighting animations. Animation data was processed and deployed to Raspberry Pi controllers connected to the physical fixtures. A custom networking system synchronized the lighting and audio across the devices, enabling coordinated motion and smooth transitions.
People
The Experiential Pixels Laboratory is a research lab at Rice University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.