ACTIVATED SCULPTURE — Cardboard Construction & Projection Mapping with TouchDesigner

​What You'll Learn

• ​Principles of 3D sculptural form and structural thinking

• ​How to use a modular cardboard + 3D-printed connector construction system with inspired lasercut shapes

• ​How artists have used light, projection, and sculpture as a unified medium

• ​Projection mapping fundamentals using TouchDesigner and KantanMapper

• ​How to design and apply visuals to irregular, hand-built surfaces

• ​Iterative making: building, testing, adjusting, and responding

​What's Provided

• ​All cardboard materials, lasercut shapes, and 3D-printed connectors (yours to keep)

• ​Cutting tools, tape, and assembly supplies

• ​1 projector shared between every 2 participants

• ​Lunch

• ​Digital takeaway: photo and video shoot of your finished piece

​Workshop Schedule

​11:00–11:45 — Welcome & Artist Context Introductions and a short illustrated lecture on artists working at the intersection of sculpture, light, and projection. We open with Isamu Noguchi — whose biomorphic forms directly inspired the lasercut shapes in your construction set — as a foundation for thinking about sculpture as something alive and spatial. From there we move into the work of Rebecca Horn, whose kinetic machines blur the line between object and organism; Tony Oursler, who projects faces and figures onto lumpy sculptural forms to deeply unsettling effect; and Gretchen Bender, who used banks of screens and projected media as a form of cultural confrontation. The goal isn't art history — it's to open up your imagination before you start building.

​11:45–1:00 — Sculpture Build, Part 1 Start building your sculpture with intention. Focus on structure and form. Sketch or jump straight in — both approaches welcome. Guided prompts help participants think about volume, shadow, and facets. Emphasis on making forms that will catch and transform projected light.

​1:00–1:30 — Lunch Step away from your sculptures and eat. A good moment to look around at where everyone is in their build and start thinking about what you want to project.

​1:30–2:45 — Sculpture Build, Part 2 Refine, expand, or restart. Live introduction to TouchDesigner and KantanMapper — how it works, how to build a basic projection mapping patch, and how to align content to your sculpture's surfaces. Participants begin rough alignment of projector to their sculpture.

​2:45–2:55 — Break Step away, stretch, and look at each other's work in progress.

​2:55–4:15 — Projection Mapping Session Each participant pair gets focused time with their projector. Mask and align your projection in KantanMapper. Experiment with different visual content: color, motion, pattern. Instructor circulates to help with both software and creative direction.

​4:15–5:00 — Share-Out & Closing Each participant briefly shares their sculpture — what worked, what surprised them. Group discussion on the relationship between physical making and projected light. Documentation photos taken of each finished piece. Take your construction set home and keep building.

​Before You Arrive — Software & System Requirements

​We'll be using TouchDesigner with the built-in KantanMapper tool for all projection mapping. Please download and install TouchDesigner on your laptop before the workshop. The free non-commercial license is all you need.

​Download TouchDesigner: derivative.ca/download

​Windows

• ​Windows 10 or 11

• ​Nvidia GeForce or AMD Radeon dedicated GPU strongly recommended

• ​Minimum 4GB GPU memory, 8GB recommended

• ​Intel integrated graphics may work but will have limitations

​Mac

• ​macOS 13 or higher

• ​Apple Silicon (M1 or later) strongly recommended

• ​Intel-based Macs require a discrete AMD GPU — Intel-only graphics are not supported

• ​A three-button mouse with scroll wheel is required (Magic Mouse will not work well)

​Logistics

• ​Duration: 6 hours (11:00am–5:00pm) including a 15-minute break and 30-minute lunch

• ​Skill level: All levels welcome, no prior experience needed

• ​Recommended group size: 6–12 participants

• ​Participants share a projector in pairs

• ​Please bring your own laptop with TouchDesigner installed

​2:04 PM

​About Your Instructor — Mark Hellar @mhellar

​Mark Hellar is a creative technologist and founder of Hellar Studios LLC, a San Francisco studio specializing in the production and preservation of digital artworks. He is currently a consultant on new media initiatives at SFMOMA, the San Francisco Arts Commission, and Stanford Department of Art and Art History. He has taught physical computing, VR, AR, and generative DMX lighting at Gray Area, the San Francisco Art Institute, and many other institutions.

​This workshop grows directly out of his studio practice.