Projection Mapping — V-Squared Labs
Projection Mapping — V-Squared Labs
Amon Tobin's ISAM was a landmark in live audiovisual performance — a shape-shifting sculpture of stacked white cubes, projection-mapped in perfect sync with the music, wrapping the artist inside his own record. It premiered at MUTEK in 2011 and scaled up into ISAM 2.0, touring to Coachella, the Sydney Opera House, and Sónar.
At V Squared Labs, under creative director Vello Virkhaus, I built the 3D geometry behind two of the show's centerpieces. For RAZORBACK — the mapped stage itself — I modeled and light-mapped all the modular set geometry in Maya with Peter Sistrom, then bridged it through Houdini into TouchDesigner so the projections locked to every surface. For DEEP JINX, I built the articulated, animated background geometry with Carlo Sa and Andrew Gura.
Why it matters: ISAM made projection mapping an instrument, not a backdrop — the visuals and the physical stage were a single object, driven live in TouchDesigner. It toured the world and set the template for the sculptural AV concerts that followed.
The build included
A shape-shifting sculpture of stacked white cubes, projection-mapped in perfect sync with the music — the artist performing from inside his own record.
The mapped stage itself. I modeled and light-mapped all the modular set geometry in Maya with Peter Sistrom, then bridged it through Houdini into TouchDesigner so the projections locked to every surface.
"The visuals and the physical stage were a single object — driven live in TouchDesigner."
For DEEP JINX I built the articulated, animated background geometry with Carlo Sa and Andrew Gura — moving structure designed to be mapped onto the cube sculpture.
ISAM 2.0 toured the world — and set the template for the sculptural AV concerts that followed.
