Want to build your own programmable light art? This workshop breaks down how addressable LEDs actually work. You'll assemble individual components into a smart, networked light display—everything from scratch.

Part 1: Building the Thing
We kick off with hands-on assembly. You'll solder headers onto an ESP32-C3 microcontroller and wire it to a 64-pixel (8×8) LED matrix. To turn this breadboard project into something you'd actually want to display, I'm including custom laser-cut enclosures from my studio to house all the electronics.

Part 2: Making It Shine
Next up: TouchDesigner. We'll use it to create algorithmic LED animations. Never touched TouchDesigner before? Totally fine—this is built for beginners, and we'll walk through it together.

Part 3: Going Wireless
The second half gets your hardware onto a network:

WLED: Load up WLED firmware for instant browser-based control
Networked DMX: Configure your setup as an E1.31 node (basically DMX over IP). We'll drive the lights wirelessly from TouchDesigner, turning your matrix into a multi-channel canvas for live visuals.

I'll also demo a 4,000-LED installation running off a single power supply to show you how power distribution and signal routing work at scale.

During the break, we'll walk down to Union Square Station to check out Erwin Redl's Lucy in the Sky installation—a massive DMX-controlled LED array that completely reshapes the station's architecture. Good chance to see these concepts in action.

What's Included

Your kit has everything you need:

ESP32-C3 microcontroller (WiFi-enabled)
8×8 WS2812 addressable LED matrix
5V power supply
Custom Hellar Studios laser-cut enclosure

What to Bring:
A laptop with Arduino IDE installed: https://www.arduino.cc/en/software/ (Arduino IDE 2.3.7) and the latest version of TouchDesigner: https://derivative.ca/

We'll supply soldering irons and everything else.

Location

tiat

151 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA

Presented by

tiat (the intersection of art & technology)

creative technology in sf

Hosted By

Arts & Culture

Tech