SUBSURFACE LIGHT

About the Installation

SUBSURFACE LIGHT is a 3D projection mapped animation that transforms an ordinary tile wall into a living portal. Inspired by the 2026 festival theme, All the Little Things. The piece moves through a montage of hidden worlds, from bees building within honeycombs to underwater life with sharks and crabs, and imagined micro-environments just beneath tiled surfaces, revealing the layered worlds that exist just out of view, hidden in plain sight.

By using the layout of the wall tiles as a canvas, the piece reveals small systems of movement of working bees, watching eye's, and underwater scenes. These elements come together in an evolving loop that buzzes, bubbles, and flows. They honor the tiny, tireless efforts that hold everything together both above and below the surface.

Our Process

Led by Chris Dreger, professor of multimedia at Washington State University Vancouver, a team of students and alumni came together weekly to learn projection mapping, 3D animation, project development, and collaborative communication. Together, they explored how to solve design problems using time and space, shaping an immersive installation that is visually engaging, playful, and compelling to watch.

The team first went to the site and measured the surfaces we would be projecting on. They studied the wall's texture, shadows, and architectural quirks—photographing and mapping every surface. The wall's three-dimensional blocks became portals, carefully measured and mapped as points of emergence.

Chris Dreger measuring the wall with honeycomb projection and bees

Through projection mapping, the wall becomes a living canvas. The tiles shift and slide apart, each one opening with its own sound, exposing the hidden worlds beneath. Bees buzz through the air as honeycombs emerge, underwater scenes bubble up, and eyes blink open from behind the surface. What was once static begins to breathe, reminding us that even the smallest hidden worlds sustain the larger whole.