ben woodMission Dolores Mural 2011
Mission San Francisco de Asis is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco. Hidden behind the great altar in the old mission church is a mural painted by Indian Neophytes in 1791. Ben Wood and Eric Blind rediscovered and digitally documented the mural in 2004. In 2011 their digital documentation was transformed into a physical public mural in the heart of the Mission District.
ben woodCoit Tower Projections 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009
The Coit Tower video projections have occured on July 4th in 2004 honoring the original inhabitants of the Bay Area, the Ohlone, and reoccurred in 2006 on the anniversary of the Great San Francisco Earthqauke of 1906, and again in 2008 and thanksgiving of 2009 as tribute to the Ohlone Bay Area Natives.
ben woodRevealing a hidden 18th century mural 2004
A projection onto the dome of the Mission Dolores Basilica exposed for the first time in over two hundred years imagery of two sacred hearts that had been hidden behind the Mission Dolores altar piece of 1796. Working with Presdio Trust Archaeologist, Eric Blind, we devised a systematic process to photograph the mural from behind the altar allowing it to be projected and displayed to the public for the first time.
ben woodThe Walls Have Ears 2007-08
In 1933 Mexican artist Diego Rivera was commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller to create a mural in the grand lobby of building 30 Rockefeller Center. Rivera painted Vladimir Lenin on the wall and Nelson Rockefeller covered and destroyed the mural. Rivera returned to Mexico City to paint the murals twin. In "Las Paredes Oyen", the mural comes to life as an animated mural telling its story through interviews with family members of Diego Rivera and his assistant Lucienne Bloch.
ben woodAshdown House 2006
In early 2006 it was announced that Ashdown House, MIT's oldest graduate dormitory and the second oldest in the United States, would be transformed into an undergraduate residence by 2008. This hour long documentary includes interviews with former residents detailing how the house had a profound impacct in their life.
ben woodWisdoms of the East & West 2010
Wisdoms of the East and West is an animated video created in Honolulu, Hawaii with Curator Michael Schuster to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the East-West Center in Honolulu Hawaii. The video is based on the flagship Charlot and Affandi murals in Imin Center-Jefferson Hall at the East West Center.
ben woodRestoration 2002
A stereoscopic installation restoring Diego Rivera's famous Art Institute mural. The projection features notable faculty at the San Francisco Art Institute aswell as students.

Ashdown House Documentary 2006

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In early 2006 it was announced that Ashdown House, MIT's oldest graduate dormitory and the second oldest in the United States, would be transformed into an undergraduate residence by 2008 and the graduate community would be moved to another part of the MIT campus. As new graduate students living in the house, myself and Brazilian Phd student Luciana Pereira took up the role of preserving the buildings history and culture.

This hour long documentary includes interviews with former residents, many who have played an important role in science and technology in the 20th century. The project serves to bridge a connection with the past and present in order to connect traditions that must be maintained in the new building so that they are not forgotten. In 2006 the video was named Best Documentary in the History Channel category of the Boston Campus MovieFest. More importantly it was shown to the MIT administration and architects of the new building, to alumni so that the memory, culture and tradition of Ashdown House will not be completely forgotten.

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Services Overview

Explore some of the multifaced work of Ben Wood Studio from public projections, animation for media companies, commercial projects as well as teaching visual art at colleges.

Contact Studio

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Address: San Francisco, California
Telephone: +1-415-515-8390
E-mail: benwood@alum.mit.edu