Argentina Pavilion
★ Featured Case Study
Siestario
19th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia 2025
- Project Overview
Siestario presented Argentina’s pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale with an immersive multimedia installation that invited visitors to experience architecture from a horizontal perspective. Reclining on hammocks beneath ceiling projections, visitors encountered a dreamlike journey that transformed the conventional gallery experience into something profoundly different.
Our custom Isadora-based media server managed 8 ceiling-mounted projectors and spatial audio, operating autonomously for 7 months without a single on-site technical visit. But the real achievement wasn’t just reliability—it was enabling curators to refine visual rhythms and adjust content in real-time throughout the exhibition, something impossible with conventional media servers that lock you into pre-rendered, linear sequences.
The installation employed procedural algorithms allowing the projection system to “breathe” and evolve organically, creating unique visual rhythms that responded to curatorial vision rather than technical constraints. The same Unreal Engine project used for pre-visualization became the production system, eliminating the traditional gap between concept and execution.
Built on globally-available Mac Mini Pro hardware with cost-efficient Isadora licensing, this project proved that artistic flexibility and operational excellence aren’t mutually exclusive—and that custom media servers can deliver both at monthly costs infinitely lower than conventional solutions like Resolume, Pixera, or Disguise.
200
Days Operation
99.9%
Uptime
8
Projection Zones
0
On-Site Visits
The Challenge
Beyond Technical Display
This wasn’t about projecting “X images across Y channels”—curators needed specific visual qualities, organic rhythms, and spatial sensitivities. Conventional media servers (Resolume, Pixera, Disguise) impose linear workflows with pre-rendered content and offline-only adjustments. Siestario required real-time creative control throughout a 7-month exhibition.
Heritage Building Constraints
Working within a protected Venetian building meant zero drilling, no permanent fixtures, and completely reversible installation. Every technical element—8 ceiling-mounted projectors, professional SDI cabling, and infrastructure—had to leave no trace while maintaining broadcast-quality performance.
7-Month Autonomous Operation
The system needed 200+ consecutive days of reliable operation with zero on-site technical intervention, comprehensive remote monitoring from Mexico and Argentina, and the flexibility to implement curatorial refinements remotely throughout the exhibition period.
- WHY CUSTOM MEDIA SERVERS
While conventional solutions could technically display video across multiple projectors, Siestario’s curatorial vision demanded something deeper: a system that could breathe, evolve, and become an expressive ally rather than a technical limitation.
The Conventional Limitations
Industry-standard media servers lock you into rigid workflows:
- —Linear sequences with pre-rendered video only
- —Offline adjustments (no modifications during operation)
- —Proprietary hardware dependencies (difficult global sourcing)
- —Expensive annual licensing (hundreds to thousands of dollars)
- —Separate pre-visualization and production systems
Our Custom Approach
The Artistic Advantage
We built a non-linear scene-based architecture in Isadora that enabled curators to refine visual rhythms, adjust timing, and modify content in real-time—throughout the entire 7-month exhibition. Procedural algorithms created organic “breathing” effects impossible with conventional playback systems.
The Operational Advantage
Built on Mac Mini Pro hardware (available globally) with Isadora licensing dramatically lower than competitors. Monthly operating costs infinitely more efficient than Resolume, Pixera, or disguise, with standard industry components replaceable anywhere in the world.
The Result
Technology that respects and amplifies curatorial vision rather than constraining it—delivering 99.9% uptime over 200 days while maintaining artistic flexibility conventional systems simply cannot offer.
Video System
Custom Isadora media server on 2x Mac Mini Pro M2 (redundant configuration) managing 8 short-throw projectors (0.6 ratio) through 2x Datapath Hx4 video distribution. Professional SDI signal transmission with real-time geometric correction per channel. HD output resolution.
Audio System
8.2 spatial audio configuration with 8 perimeter speakers + 2 subwoofers. Multi-channel DSP processing creating immersive soundscape synchronized with ceiling projections. Spatial audio design by Martín Virgili optimized for horizontal listening experience.
System Architecture
Complete technical diagram showing media server, projection, and audio integration
Control & Monitoring
Transcontinental remote monitoring (Mexico/Argentina) via VPN with automated daily scheduling (9:30 AM – 8:30 PM). Watchdog system with automatic recovery protocols. Dual Mac Mini redundancy with UPS power protection. Remote content update capability maintained throughout exhibition.
Creative Capabilities
Non-linear scene architecture enabling organic narrative evolution. Procedural timing algorithms creating unique “breathing” rhythms. Real-time content modifications without rendering. Multi-format media support with specialized rendering materials. Web API connectivity for future interactivity.
Spatial Audio Setup
8.2 channel configuration with multi-point source speakers and subwoofers
1
Pre-visualization & Design
Dec 2024 – Feb 2025 (10 weeks)
Virtual recreation of space in Unreal Engine 5 with the same project architecture that would become the production system—eliminating translation loss between concept and execution. Development of 9-zone canvas system with curators Marco Zampieron and Juan Manuel Pachué. Custom Isadora programming with non-linear scene architecture and procedural timing algorithms. Coordination with eiletz ortigas | architects for Venice logistics.
2
Development & Testing
Feb – Mar 2025 (6 weeks)
Media server programming with modular per-channel control enabling artistic flexibility. Automated scheduling, remote monitoring with watchdog protocols, and real-time modification capabilities. Extensive lab testing validating 7-month autonomous operation reliability. Content integration with specialized rendering materials.
3
Installation & Calibration
Apr 2025 (5 weeks)
Equipment transport through Venice canals. Digital Network technical team installed reversible rigging system, 8 projectors, and professional SDI cabling with zero building modifications. Precise video mapping across irregular ceiling surfaces. Spatial audio tuning. Procedural timing algorithm refinement with curators. Training of local pavilion staff.
4
Exhibition Operation
May – Nov 2025 (7 months)
200+ days fully autonomous operation with 24/7 remote monitoring from Mexico and Argentina. System achieved 99.9% uptime with zero on-site technical visits. Curators able to request content rhythm adjustments and visual refinements remotely throughout exhibition—demonstrating the creative flexibility advantage of custom Isadora-based systems.
5
Decommissioning
Nov 2025 (1 week)
Complete system dismantling with zero impact to historic building. Equipment prepared for future project reuse. Comprehensive documentation delivered. Building returned to original condition, validating reversible installation methodology.
Solutions & Implementation
Unified Pre-visualization to Production
The breakthrough was simple but powerful: the same Unreal Engine 5 project used for pre-visualization became the production media server. Curators could approve the exact experience visitors would receive, with zero loss in translation from concept to execution. This continuity identified technical challenges months before installation and enabled confident curatorial decisions without costly on-site iterations.
Real-time Creative Control
We developed custom Isadora programming utilizing non-linear scene-based architecture instead of rigid timelines. Procedural algorithms created organic “breathing” rhythms, with per-channel artistic control enabling curators to refine visual qualities throughout the 7-month exhibition. Content modifications happened in real-time without offline rendering—capabilities impossible with conventional linear media servers.
Autonomous Operation with Remote Artistry
Dual Mac Mini redundancy with comprehensive automation—scheduled operations, self-diagnostics, and automatic recovery protocols. But the key innovation was maintaining creative flexibility: VPN access enabled not just troubleshooting but artistic refinements. Curators could request visual rhythm adjustments from anywhere, proving that technical robustness and creative freedom aren’t mutually exclusive.
Heritage-Compliant Installation
Collaborated with Digital Network to implement completely reversible mounting using tension-based rigging and non-invasive clamps. All 8 projectors, professional SDI cabling, and infrastructure installed without drilling or permanent modifications. Used globally-available standard components (Datapath, Mac Mini Pro) replaceable internationally. Complete removal left zero trace on historic surfaces.
✓
Technical Excellence Meets Artistic Flexibility
99.9% uptime over 200+ days with zero on-site interventions. System handled power fluctuations automatically while maintaining capability for remote artistic adjustments—proving technical robustness and creative freedom aren’t mutually exclusive.
✓
Curatorial Vision Fully Realized
Pre-visualization accuracy and real-time modification capabilities meant curators could refine artistic qualities throughout the exhibition. The installation successfully “breathed” with organic visual rhythms—impossible with conventional linear media servers.
✓
Cost-Efficient International Operation
Monthly licensing costs infinitely lower than Resolume, Pixera, or disguise. Globally-available hardware eliminated proprietary dependencies. Remote operation reduced carbon footprint by eliminating international technical travel during 7-month exhibition.
✓
Replicable Methodology Established
100% equipment prepared for future projects. Reversible installation validated for heritage venues. Custom Isadora architecture establishing efficient workflow template for international biennial participations requiring artistic sensitivity and technical excellence.
Immersive Experience Achieved
Visitors experiencing organic visual rhythms created by procedural algorithms—demonstrating how custom media servers become expressive allies rather than technical limitations.
Siestario validated a fundamental principle: technology should amplify artistic vision, not constrain it. While conventional media servers deliver technical reliability, they impose creative limitations through linear workflows and pre-rendered content requirements.
Our custom Isadora-based approach delivers both operational excellence and expressive capabilities conventional systems cannot match. Real-time creative control throughout project lifecycle. Non-linear narrative architectures enabling organic evolution. Procedural algorithms creating unique rhythms and sensitivities.
Built on globally-available hardware (Mac Mini Pro) with dramatically lower licensing costs than competitors. Monthly operating expenses infinitely more efficient than Resolume, Pixera, or Disguise—delivering superior ROI for long-duration installations.
The same Unreal Engine project transitions seamlessly from pre-visualization to production, eliminating translation loss. Remote monitoring enables both technical troubleshooting and artistic refinements from anywhere globally. Curators maintain expressive control throughout—from initial concept through months of exhibition operation.
Key Capabilities
- ✓Real-time content modification without rendering
- ✓Per-channel artistic customization and control
- ✓Procedural timing algorithms for organic “breathing”
- ✓Unified pre-viz to production pipeline
- ✓Cost-efficient licensing and globally-available hardware
- ✓Remote artistic refinement capability
- ✓Proven 99.9% uptime over 200+ days
The Result
Technology becomes collaborator rather than limitation—enabling curatorial visions impossible with conventional solutions while maintaining cost efficiency and operational reliability.
- Client Testimonials
“
What distinguished this project was the ability to make artistic refinements throughout the exhibition. The system’s flexibility allowed us to adjust visual rhythms based on visitor experience—something impossible with conventional media servers. Technology truly became our expressive ally.
Marco Zampieron
Curator, Argentina Pavilion
“
The technical excellence allowed us to realize an artistic vision we initially thought impossible within Venice’s heritage constraints. The Unreal Engine pre-visualization gave us confidence early, and the system’s autonomous operation during 7 months exceeded expectations.
Juan Manuel Pachué
Curator, Argentina Pavilion
Project Credits
Curators
Juan Manuel Pachué
Marco Zampieron
Multimedia & Technical Direction
Martín Virgili
Argentina — Spatial Audio Design.
Maximiliano Wille
Argentina — Isadora Programming, System Architecture.
Héctor Cruz Juárez
Mexico — Media Server Development, Video Mapping, Unreal Engine Pre-visualization
Project Management
Mateo Eiletz & Claudia Ortigas
eiletz ortigas | architects (Slovenia)
Technical Implementation
Digital Network
Fabio & Team (Italy)
Commissioner
Ministry of Culture, Argentina
Strategic Partners
eiletz ortigas | architects
Project Management & Venice Coordination
With 28+ years specializing in national pavilions at international biennales, Mateo Eiletz and Claudia Ortigas provided turn-key project management, navigating Venice’s unique logistics, heritage regulations, and international team coordination.
Digital Network
Technical Implementation & Equipment
Leading Italian audiovisual services company provided professional equipment, on-site installation expertise, and local technical coordination for seamless integration within Venice’s complex logistical environment.
Planning an International Biennial or Cultural Installation?
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