2019
Best Immersive Experience
The New Japan Islands by media artist Yoichi Ochiai, produced in collaboration with Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry department (METI) and other partners
A collaboration between multiple partners, The New Japan Islands immersed visitors in landscapes and visions of the future based on culture original to Japan. The project included more than 25 different activations from a Japanese market scene to food samples to pachinko, from karaoke to J-Pop to haikus—all designed to allow visitors to take deeper looks into Japanese culture, technology and philosophy. The message was “to consider a Nostalgic Future, that is, to revisit the original ways of human life to construct a future that softly connects industry and culture,” according to the project’s website.
Best Use of Technology
Sony WOW Studio by Sony Brand Design Platform
Sony presented a variety of sessions and exhibitions exploring the theme “Will Technology Enrich Human Creativity?” Showcasing R&D projects applying Sony’s newest technologies and prototypes, the studio featured The “CAVE without a LIGHT,” an experiential exhibition of inclusive design that allowed visitors to play music together using sound and haptic technology in a pitch-black cave-like setting.
Best Exhibition Experience
The Time Machine by NHK Enterprises and Rhizomatiks
Within the walls of the SXSW 2019 Trade Show, NHK (Japan’s public broadcaster) unveiled its new virtual reality experience, “The Time Machine,” taking users back to 1964, the last time the Olympics were held in Tokyo. By using old photographs gathered at that time, producers recreated a past environment that included the busy Shibuya district and other well known Tokyo attractions. Designed to demonstrate the possibility of revisiting any place at any time, the producers are also appealing to the public for more material in order to recreate other historic moments in time.
Spirit of SXSW
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents: The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library by Comedy Central
Perfectly situated in Austin’s historic Driskill Hotel, “The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library” showcases the Commander-in-Chief’s preferred vessel for communicating with the public, his Twitter feed. In this case, the tweets of Donald J. Trump were curated and displayed in an installation that led participants through a museum-like experience with interactivity and humor. The attraction was a timely fit for SXSW 2019, with its exploration of politics, journalism, and the impact of social media—but also of comedy and entertainment.
2018
Best Immersive Experience
HBO and Giant Spoon for Live without Limits Weekend, an immersive Westworld experience
HBO and Giant Spoon created an immersive theatrical experience for Westworld. Attendees were shuttled to a remote location where a recreation of the town of Sweetwater awaited them. The experience included actors trained for months in advance to create a fictional story that came to life on the two-acre set.
Best Use of Technology
Brand Strategy team from Sony Corporation for WOW Studio
Sony’s Wow Studio showcased 11 projects and prototypes that blended art and technology. The ambitious installation included VR, robotics, high speed vision sensor and spatial audio technology named Sonic Surf VR. One of the examples was interactive tabletop projectors that allowed visitors to interact with visuals and sounds by sensing the movement of their fingers, while small 3D-printed musical instruments came to life by 3D projection.
Spirit of SXSW
Meow Wolf for Fractallage (a pop-up installation) and The Atrium (VR experience)
Meow Wolf, a Santa Fe-based art collective whose documentary film, Meow Wolf: Origin Story was accepted into the SXSW Film Festival, expanded their Austin presence with a pop-up installation, Fractallage and a VR experience, The Atrium. The collective’s DIY outsider spirit came to life in their wide-ranging SXSW participation.
