The newly opened museum at the historic Gadsden’s Wharf site in Charleston, South Carolina brings stories of the African American journey to life with immersive realism and powerful narrative impact.
How we helped
The Challenge
- The new museum required state-of-the-art display technology to help engage visitors and bring artifacts to life
The Solution
- Crystal LED video walls
- BRAVIA 4K HDR professional displays
- 4K SXRD and Full HD laser projectors
The Outcome
- Immersive storytelling that deepens connection with digital-native visitors
- Virtual exhibits extend the message to a wider audience
“As part of Sony’s ongoing commitment to social justice and diversity, we are proud to support the efforts of the International African American Museum to bring the important history and stories of the African American journey to life, and help educate and inspire millions of people to create a more just, equitable and inclusive society.”- Karen Kelso
Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Impact, Sony Corporation of America.
Telling untold stories
Opened in summer 2023 at Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina – one of America’s most historically sacred slave trading ports – the International African American Museum (IAAM) honors the untold stories of the African American journey.
Provided with the support of Sony’s Global Social Justice Fund, which champions social justice and anti-racist initiatives while fostering diversity, equity and inclusion around the world, the display technology engages visitors with history, brings artifacts to life and expands on stories introduced in the museum. Alongside Crystal LED video walls, BRAVIA 4K professional displays, 4K SXRD and Full HD laser projectors, AV hardware provided by Sony includes wireless microphone systems.
Amplifying the African American journey
The museum sought technology that would amplify the experiences of the African American journey for today’s digital natives in a manner that deepens the narrative with added levels of connection and immersion.
“Every good museum focuses on the stories and storytelling,” says Dr. Tonya M. Matthews, President and Chief Executive Officer of IAAM. “For an African American History Museum in particular, there’s added weight and added excitement when African Americans get to tell their own story because for so long that wasn’t what we saw in museums. I’m very excited about the way that the museum is using technology to activate and enhance these stories.”
“As a new museum, we’ve leaned into technology as a way to make the story feel much more real,” explains Malika Pryor, Chief Learning and Engagement Officer. “When someone’s walking into the exhibition space for the first time, they come into contact with the Transatlantic Experience. I refer to that as this grounding moment for the visitor because what they’re going to see on these eight screens before them is this immersive visual and sonic experience. That gives them a firm grasp of what they’re going to see as they’re moving through the other exhibitions and installations.”
Powerful imagery
Museum visitors are greeted by eight high-brightness Crystal LED video walls, each measuring 6 ft wide by 7 ft tall (1.8 x 2.1 m). The content includes a mix of powerful historical and modern imagery and photography that highlights and juxtaposes the African American experience. Guests then move into the Atlantic Worlds Gallery, dominated by a huge 32 ft by 7 ft (9.8 x 2.1 m) Crystal LED wall with 7,680 x 1,620 pixel resolution. It overlooks an exceptional view of the Atlantic Ocean and Gadsden’s Wharf, the actual port of entry for slaves, helping to reclaim the location’s complex associations and turn it into a place of empowerment, education, conversation, and understanding.
“It’s amazing technology,” confirms Bobby Teachey II, the Project Manager who worked with the Solomon Group to install and set up the new museum’s AV equipment. “The scale of the screen in the Atlantic Worlds Gallery and the definition of the graphics will connect people in a different way. And the vibrant colors and details – such as sweat coming off of somebody’s head – there’s so much information and such powerful imagery that visitors are going to want to stand in front of it for a long time to catch all of the different stories.”
Technology with a purpose
In addition, the museum uses Sony projectors, lenses and wireless audio solutions throughout its space. Projectors help screen content, support wall-mapped content and share footage in rotating exhibits and screening rooms, as well as in the IAAM’s Center for Family History, an important space for tracing genealogy and connecting the dots of people’s pasts.
Connecting with digitally literate audiences
Dr. Matthews also acknowledges technology’s ability to move the IAAM outside their facility. “We also have virtual exhibitions, which we launched before we opened our physical doors. This has allowed membership and interest to grow around the nation and the globe. Technology allows us to serve those who may not physically enter our space through virtual exhibitions.”
She maintains that technology enables the IAAM to engage with a more digitally savvy audience. “Digital natives have a high standard for technology and expect it to do more than just sit there. They expect technology to be used to engage them – we are particularly positioned to do that.”
Sony’s support of the museum, through the company’s Global Social Justice Fund, is also viewed as instrumental by their personnel. “For museums and businesses in the non-profit sector, what we’re trying to do is provide access,” says Dr. Matthews. “We are trying to deliver more than our community in and of itself can support. So, it’s really important to have corporate partners who understand that and are as equally committed as we are. And I must give a nod to partners who lean into the more difficult stories, who lean into the impact of telling difficult stories well and who understand that the reason we’re sharing these stories and learning this history is not just about yesterday, but it’s about today and it’s about tomorrow.”
“Sony being able to step up and provide a lot of the donated technology and expertise is massive,” concludes Teachey.
