Pneuma - Build, Breathe, Light

A hands-on workshop connecting digital generative systems with physical fabrication, culminating in the creation of your own prototype.
About this Event

DESCRIPTION

Join Interim Collective for a hands-on exploration of interactive environments as part of this year's Design Vancouver Festival 2026.

Step into our active development process for PNEUMA, a large-scale interactive light and sound installation premiering on the Vancouver Art Gallery's south facade for the Lumière Festival (November 12–14, 2026).

Using PNEUMA as our live case study, this multidisciplinary workshop connects digital generative systems with physical fabrication to reveal how large-scale, responsive installations are actually built. Through a discipline-by-discipline walkthrough, we will explore how to translate environmental data and human interaction into interactive light, sound, and spatial systems. We’ll delve into the material logic of fabricating responsive forms and demonstrate the technical pipeline for routing live sensor data into TouchDesigner. Together, we’ll see how abstract inputs transform into tangible, atmospheric experiences.

The session culminates in a hands-on fabrication lab. Attendees will design and build their own small-scale physical prototypes. We will integrate these artifacts into our sensory ecosystem, allowing participants to see how live data and light bring their creations to life in real-time.

Event partnership with Design Vancouver Festival (September 17-27)

Venue partnership with Multimodal Media Lab (MML)

INFORMATION

Date: Sunday, September 20th

Location: MML Studio (375 Water St, Unit# 645, Vancouver, BC V6B 5C6)

Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

TICKETS

Accessible: $50

General Admission: $75

Generous: $100

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Understand the technical pipeline for mapping live sensor data into TouchDesigner to trigger generative outputs.
• Explore fabrication techniques and material logic for building responsive, tech-integrated physical forms.
• Learn methods for translating abstract environmental or human inputs into tangible spatial experiences.

Project Outcomes: Participants will leave with a practical understanding of how fabrication, sensing, generative media, light, and sound can be integrated into responsive spatial installations, along with insight into the process of developing large-scale interactive work from concept through technical realization

Audience: Whether you are a designer, technologist, or multidisciplinary creator, you will gain practical skills in systems integration and fabrication. This workshop is open to all levels.

SCHEDULE

2:00–2:10 PM

Introduction

Interim Collective, workshop overview, safety, and what participants will be making.

2:10–2:20 PM

PNEUMA Concept

Introduction to the installation, breath, inflation, movement, and how the different systems connect.

2:20–2:30 PM

Interactive Technology

Walkthrough of the sensor → TouchDesigner → LED, fan + sound output system.

2:30–2:45 PM

Inflatable Fabrication

Plastic drop sheets, heat-welding with irons, seams, inflation, and basic hanging points.

2:45–3:15 PM

Build

Participants split into four groups and build their inflatable forms.

3:15–3:45 PM

Inflate + Activate

Hang the forms, add fans/blowers, and connect each group into the sensor, LED, fan + sound system.

3:45–4:00 PM

Experience + Q&A

Each group shares their form and sees it activated within the system, followed by questions and closing.

INTERIM BIOGRAPHY

Founded in 2024, Interim is a Vancouver-based transdisciplinary art collective uniting artists, designers, and technologists. Driven by experimentation, they integrate performance, media, and emerging technologies, creating works that remain iterative and in constant flux. Interim's works have been presented at venues like the Vancouver Art Gallery and The Dance Centre.

BUILDING


SCHEDULE

🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:20 PM
Introduction & Framework (20 min)

Info: Translating environmental data into spatial design.

🕑: 02:20 PM - 02:40 PM
Fabrication & Materials (20 min)

Info: Material logic and constructing responsive physical forms.

🕑: 02:40 PM - 03:00 PM
Interactive Data Pipeline (20 min)

Info: Live TouchDesigner demo; routing sensor input to generative output.

🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:40 PM
Hands-on Build (40 min)

Info: Participant fabrication of small-scale physical prototypes.

🕑: 03:40 PM - 04:00 PM
Testing, Preview & Q&A (20 min)

Info: Connecting fabricated artifacts to sensors and light ecosystems.