INDIA: Christie projection technology helped transform Mumbai’s historic Afghan Church into an immersive visual experience for Ascension, a projection mapping installation presented by Floating Canvas Company (FCC) and Synergy Technologies during the Mumbai Light Festival in August. The project marked the first projection mapping installation inside a Grade I heritage structure in Mumbai, bringing celestial imagery to the 19th-century Church of St. John the Evangelist while respecting its architectural character and continuing role as a place of worship.

Synergy Technologies deployed eight Christie Jazz Series DWU2400-JS projectors, six HS Series D23WU-HS 1DLP laser projectors and a Griffyn 4K50-RGB pure laser projector. The Griffyn served the church’s central wall, the show’s primary focal point, where its brightness and pixel density delivered visual impact. The DWU2400-JS units covered the side walls and architectural features, while the D23WU-HS projectors handled the expansive overhead surfaces.

The installation’s imagery followed a journey from Earth to the cosmos, using clouds, stars and drifting light to animate the church’s soaring arches, vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows. Rather than projecting onto an exterior façade, Ascension placed the audience within the visual narrative, with content unfolding across the surrounding interior.

“The objective was never to overpower the architecture, but to work in harmony with it,” said Chirag Patel, founder of Synergy Technologies. “Every theme, motif and animation sequence was carefully developed to complement the church’s architectural details and allow the space itself to remain the anchor of the experience. We wanted audiences to appreciate the beauty of the building while becoming immersed in a visual journey through light and color.”

That approach also reflected the sensitivities of working inside an active place of worship. “Because the church remains an active place of worship, restraint was a key design consideration,” Patel added. “Instead of filling every surface with constant motion, we allowed moments of pause and focused attention on individual architectural details. This gave visitors time to appreciate the beauty of the space while becoming immersed in the experience.”

Achieving consistent coverage across the church’s complex interior required detailed advance planning. FCC surveyed the venue and developed multiple digital masks to map the content accurately onto its varied surfaces. The Griffyn 4K50-RGB and DWU2400-JS projectors were mounted on a truss at the rear of the church and configured in portrait mode to cover the side walls. The D23WU-HS projectors were positioned along the central aisle to reach the vaulted ceilings.

The stained-glass windows presented a particular challenge: glass transmits light rather than reflecting it in the same way as conventional projection surfaces. FCC incorporated the windows’ colours, textures and varying thicknesses into the visual design, making these distinctive architectural elements part of the presentation rather than treating them as obstacles to be concealed.

“FCC has once again demonstrated how projection mapping can transform spaces into extraordinary storytelling environments,” said Rishubh Nayar, ProAV sales director for India, Christie. “The successful realization of Ascension inside one of Mumbai’s most treasured heritage landmarks underscores the versatility, brightness and color performance of our projection technologies. We are delighted that FCC trusted Christie solutions to bring this unique experience to life and create a memorable visual spectacle for festival audiences.”