2019
Side Stories
Promotional Materials

Client

Studio Hippo

Description

Created content to promote Side Stories—a large format outdoor film festival put on by the RiNo Arts District—and to humble brag about Studio Hippo's involvement in the walkable art experience.

Worked with creative team to plan and develop their concept. Composed Artist Statement for the Studio Hippo submission, one of eight chosen for the 2019 event.

Intro

Well...it’s winter. It’s cold and it’s dark. The peaceful, cozy glow of the holidays and accompanying break is long gone, replaced by the shocking realization that, yes, work is still a thing. Nevertheless, we try to get out and enjoy the season—skiing, snowboarding, soldiering through some icy hikes—but once the sun goes down, the idea of actually leaving the house becomes harder and harder to fathom with each passing day. Dinner, concert, sporting event? No, thank you. Merely dropping by a happy hour on the way home from work requires nothing short of a herculean effort. The gravitational pull of the couch and Netflix queue is just…too…strong. Luring us from this snuggie-shrouded hibernation station will take a truly unique and exceptional event.

Side Stories // RiNo to the rescue.

For ten winter nights — February 21st - March 2nd — ten buildings in Denver’s River North neighborhood will feature the works of ten Colorado artists, collectively transforming them into a large-format outdoor film installation. This immersive event will project 3-5 minute looping films onto the exterior walls of buildings in East RiNo (from Broadway to 36th Street and Blake Street to Larimer Street) to create a walkable art experience through the historic neighborhood.

The film genres range from live action to animation to experimental, and the artists include Postmodern, Futuristic Films, Gary Emrich, Ivar Zeile (Denver Digerati), CU Denver Student & Faculty Collaboration, David Zimmer, HaveyPro Cinema, The Made Shop, Mighteor, and Studio Hippo.

Yes, you read that right. We were chosen as one of the ten Colorado artists featured! Talk about a reason to get off of the couch and out into the world again.

Side Stories is an event that seamlessly connects community and culture, supports local artists, and draws visitors to a wide array of superb shops and businesses along the way. We’re beyond thrilled to participate and cannot wait to contribute to the vibrancy of this neighborhood, if even for ten nights. For more information, visit https://sidestoriescolorado.com, mark your calendars, and come join us!

Artist Statement

Over the past 10 years, the River North district has transformed from a somewhat neglected, oft forgotten industrial area to a must-visit destination in Denver. The giant wall murals, street graffiti, painted fences, and architectural details—both new and old—radiate the vibrancy and spirit of this ever-evolving neighborhood. These individual expressions collectively reflect the personality of RiNo, making it like no other place in Denver.

It is the ultimate intersection of food, drink, art, architecture and collaboration.

And though we’re typically lured by the food and drink, we always linger long after, walking the streets to admire and be inspired by the artwork…and maybe to grab another beer…or two.

So what really excited us about RiNo Side Stories was the opportunity to create our own graffiti/wall art and, for a few days, contribute and pay homage to the energy and life of RiNo.

Each member of our Studio Hippo herd drew inspiration from the art and architecture of Larimer and Walnut and created 2-3 animations to express their individual reflections. This series of experimentations and creative explorations is our collective “thank you” to the artists, dreamers, builders, and innovative leaders who have made RiNo the incredible place it is today.

That's a Wrap

For ten otherwise humdrum winter nights, the ten projections created for Side Stories drew us from our cozy couches and onto the streets of RiNo. We were wowed by the imagination and ingenuity on display and were absolutely honored to take part in such a unique community event. From concept to creation, we enjoyed every step of the process.

Since much of our work is driven by client requirements, it was nice to have total freedom to create without limitations. Hippnosperience is our collective imagination run wild, and seeing that final video projected on such a large scale was pretty epic. This massive tech graffiti quite literally blew up the land of small-scale screens in which we normally live.

Large format outdoor artwork heightens the level of engagement for the viewer, and one of our favorite moments happened as we were watching our images dance across the wall: two children passed by and started dancing alongside it! That alone was enough to make Side Stories an unforgettable experience.

Thanks again to Mariel Rodriquez-McGill for getting us involved. Hopefully we can make more magic together in the future!