South By Southwest (SXSW) is an annual event held in Austin, Texas, that brings together some of the world's most creative and innovative thinkers. A first for the HVAC industry, Lennox attended SXSW in March of this year and showcased two unique and inspiring, temperature-sensitive murals. A continuation of Lennox' WHAT PERFECT FEELS LIKE™ campaign, the art installation was called "Degrees of Perfect," and was an amazing combination of art, engineering and innovative collaboration.
Bringing perfect to life
Lennox heating and cooling technology is designed to deliver perfect comfort, year after year. Although you may know what perfect comfort feels like when it surrounds you, how would you visualize that feeling? That's exactly what the Lennox murals at SXSW set out to achieve.
For their exhibition at "The Mashable House," Lennox made two thermo-responsive murals. The first mural changed according to whether the temperature behind it was hot or cold. The second mural looked like a blank canvas and only became visible when cold compressed air was sprayed onto it; allowing attendees to create their own temperature-inspired artwork. The murals were the work of Montreal street artist Fluke, who collaborated closely with Lennox to create these one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
How the murals worked
The murals were painted with temperature-sensitive paint. When precisely heated air from a Lennox CBX27UH* air handler was applied to the murals, the thermochromic paint layer became colorless, revealing the base art underneath. When introduced to cool temperatures from a Lennox SL18XP1** heat pump, the color returned, showing two different murals to the viewer.
Two murals. Multiple works of art
The first Lennox mural changed color gradually, depending upon whether it was being heated or cooled by the air handler or the heat pump. At the second mural, SXSW attendees were invited to spray cold, compressed air onto the heated surface, allowing them to bring their very own piece of street art to life.
A triumph of art, innovation, technology and fun
The Lennox "Degrees of Perfect" art installation was a big hit at SXSW. Not only did attendees get to paint with temperature instead of a paintbrush, but they also got to see how Lennox' perfect temperature control could be used to create two amazing pieces of art. People came back again and again to watch the murals change or to interact with them, and the more they saw, the more they wanted to learn about Lennox' precise temperature control capabilities.
Attendees were also very curious about the creative and innovative collaboration between Lennox and Fluke. Combining the technical expertise of one with the outstanding creative abilities and progressive technical skills of the other seemed like a perfect fit. The resulting pieces of art showcased not only the respective talents of a world-class HVAC innovator and a gifted street artist, but also made the invisible art of temperature control visible, which is both unique and amazing!
To learn how to bring the technology powering the Lennox SXSW exhibition into your house, contact your local Lennox Dealer.
*The CBX27UH has been replaced by the CBA27UHE multi-speed air handler that provides dependable, energy-efficient comfort, even in the harshest conditions.
** The SL18XP1 is no longer available.
