Portland Works Inside Out (September 2016)

One of my favourite commissions, this large-scale animation was projection-mapped onto the facade of Portland Works - a Listed building in Sheffield - where Robert F Moseley pioneered the world-famous stainless steel cutlery. This project had a huge emotional impact on me: while developing the proposal I discovered that my grandfather had owned a pair of chisels made in a factory directly behind Portland works in the 1940s. These chisels were recovered from our village home in India by my mother many years ago, thus demonstrating the popularity of Sheffield steel, British tools and trade across seas.

This half-hour animation was part of the 'Festival of Mind' 2016. Through my journey as an artist, and in telling the story of Portland Works, for the first time for me this was a convergence of animation, music and architecture. In generating a synthesis, I created the music, animation and executed the projection-mapping. The animation depicted the historic life of the building from cutlery manufacturing, surviving WWII, becoming rehearsal studios for rock bands, rave parties and finally being refurbished as premises for small trade and craft outlets.

“As producer of our mixed media event, 'Portland Works Inside Out’, I was delighted that Saranjit’s brilliant digital projection really did, as commissioned, turn us ‘inside out’ - it showed artistic flair and brilliance, and put our incredible makers, past and present, on display in a superb, almost magical, projection on the outside of our iconic Works building” Peter Marsh – Director Portland Works: October 2016