In today’s world, the lines between technology and creativity are becoming increasingly blurred, with innovative tools enabling new forms of artistic expression. One such inspiring fusion took place recently when Dataton, a company known for its cutting-edge audiovisual systems, invited 64 eighth-graders to its lab in Mjärdevi for a unique premiere. What made this event special was the fact that the film production being shown was based entirely on artwork created by the students themselves.
Teacher Lina Grundstam and Björn Sandlund, CEO of Dataton.
The story began when Björn Sandlund, CEO of Dataton and a long-time advocate for blending art with technology, visited Kafé på Skedet outside Vadstena. While there, he noticed an incredible collection of portraits displayed on the café’s walls. Curious, Björn inquired with the café owner and learned that the drawings were the work of local students from Vadstena. Immediately, Björn recognized the value in preserving and showcasing these expressive pieces. The collection, now dubbed “Faces of Vadstena: The Unlikely Art Collection, Too Unique to Be Ignored”, deserved a larger stage. He reached out to the students’ teacher, Lina Grundstam, to explore ways of bringing the art to a wider audience.
The result was an innovative film project using Dataton’s Watchout system, a powerful platform for creating large-scale multimedia shows. Under the guidance of Sven Kubacki, a multimedia specialist from Poznan in Poland, the students’ portraits were brought to life, accompanied by a score composed by renowned musician Georg Riedel. The expressive faces of the students’ drawings gained movement and a new layer of meaning through this collaboration of art, music, and technology.
In addition to the film screening, Björn offered the students an engaging introduction to Dataton’s work, encouraging them to consider returning in ten years to seek employment with the company. Dataton, founded in 1973, has long been a pioneer in the field of audiovisual technology. Their Watchout system is widely used in professional settings worldwide, powering immersive experiences in museums, live performances, corporate events, and more.
This collaboration highlights the endless possibilities when creativity is combined with cutting-edge technology, inspiring the next generation to see art and innovation as two sides of the same coin.
