For the past few years, Montreal’s Moment Factory has been busy creating blockbuster installations, for such venues as LAX’s new terminal as well as for immersive concert experiences such as Arcade Fire’s Reflektor tour and other big-ticket events. So its ceiling-mounted piece for Oakley, the high-end purveyor of eyewear and athletic gear, seems intimate by comparison. Yet, it packs a punch and invites the gaze of passersby, even on one of Manhattan’s most frenzied streets.
Designed to coincide with the brand’s Disruptive by Design campaign, the installation consists of 27 LCD screens arranged in rows of three and suspended along the length of the ceiling. The screens display performance athletes, such as Oakley-goggled swimmers, in action. Four movie vignettes alternate throughout the shop’s business hours. The project also represents a feat of teamwork, among Moment, Brooklyn’s SITU and L.A.’s Fulkra. And while it is a dazzling and eye-catching display, its position at the top of the shop means that the merchandise owns the show floor.