A Sneak Peek at the Artists Projecting Animated Murals Onto Walls in RiNo

An ode to real love and sunsets, a crystal cave in Colorado, a representation of the architecture of RiNo — these themes and more will be explored at the third annual Side Stories in RiNo in late February and early March this year. Using buildings in the RiNo district as a backdrop, artists create site-specific and temporary works of art that can only be viewed once the sun goes down. And the only way to watch them is to explore the neighborhood on foot, hunting down the silent videos (until you tune into an app that lets you listen to artist commentary and soundtracks on your phone).

As the festival evolves year after year, we’ve been lucky to see a smattering of local artists work in the digital sphere in a way that isn’t typically explored. The buildings and walls used as backdrops are vastly different from perfectly seamless screens and their own texture and dimension add complexity to the process and finished effect. But, with each year, the artists learn from one another and from advancing techniques in the field, leading to an ever more polished outcome.