Mackenzie Bedford

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Category: Projection

Projection mapping projects

  • Roots to Sky Projection Mapping

    Roots to Sky Projection Mapping

    I was invited to create projections for a spoken word performance night called Roots to Sky, put on by Shone Thistle and Priscilla Cherry.

    What a magical night! I got to meet amazing fellow queer artists and meet local legends.

    It was a special treat to project on such unique architecture as the interior of the church, so I jumped at the chance.

    Due to time constraints and creative capacity, I kept things simple and worked with textures on the different planes. I didn’t want to take away from the incredible poets and musicians performing in the evening.

  • Memory + Nostalgia: Meet me at the intersection of time and space

    My first time curating a gallery exhitibion.

    MEMORY + NOSTALGIA: Meet me at the intersection of time and space was a projection mapping exhibition in partnership with EMMEDIA and Particle + Wave Festival.

    Featuring 3 incredible artists: Jacqueline Huskisson, Meryl Prendergast, and Nicole Anne Santangelo

    Curated by me, Mackenzie Bedford!

    Curating a gallery exhibition involved finding artists working on similar themes, tracking them down and getting them to commit, and trusting them to ship their work to EMMEDIA in time. It was a nailbiter!

    I also needed to write the “why” behind the exhibition, it was my first time writing something so serious!

    Thank you to EMMEDIA’s Joe and Janira for an incredible installation and artist reception!

    Curatorial Statement

    Projection and memory share an ephemeral nature. The soft glow of projected light can mimic hazy memories passing through the mind’s eye. Neither can be touched, yet both can be felt.

    Each of the artists in “Meet me at the intersection of time and space” have uniquely tapped into this intangible connection and use projection mapping as a method to ferment their memories into nostalgia, resolution, and even new narratives.

    With “Play It Again!” Prendergast creates portals to visit familiar dreamscapes by combining childhood archives and woven textiles.

    Santangelo transcends the physical plane using projection to channel the memory of her loved one in “Out of Reach”.

    Huskisson’s “Reminiscence” examines the abstraction of grief and memory by distorting projections on dynamic, moving surfaces.

    By using projection mapping to examine their memories, these artists process the emotions that accompany them. In a world of rectangular screens and doom scrolling, it is easy to become emotionally detached from reality. Projection mapping disrupts this detachment with a grounding experience of light and spatial connection in the shared reality of the exhibition space.

    “Meet me at the intersection of time and space” features projection mapping to illustrate the fleeting nature of memory, but also to transform the traditional gallery into a gateway for reflection, reverence and restructuring. This exhibition encourages its audiences to find comfort in the intangible, and to consider processing emotional memories in new, illuminating ways.

    Content Advisories

    Grief, death.

  • Degrees of Separation Projections

    Degrees of Separation Projections

    I returned to Yellowknife in March 2026 to project hand-crafted animations for a local theatre production by Tin Can Collective. I animated panels from the graphic novel by Alison McCreesh and created dynamic scenic backgrounds for the actors.

    I had to get the production team to sort out projectors and throw distance, which took some trust but in the end felt like being pampered. It was nice to just walk up and only worry about the mapping.

    Mapping was simple once I was on site. However, I made the mistake of basing animations on an early sketch, instead of the finalized set. I had to do a lot of adjusting!

    Theatre projections are extra work because you need to design the transitions for each scene and program it into a queue stack. This always takes longer than I think it will!

    In the end it was a rewarding project to collaborate with other art makers, and not work alone. I was proud of this production and all of their efforts!

  • Chinook Blast Installation: MAPPERZ Crystal Wishes

    What goes in to an outdoor public projection piece:

    Design

    Safety Approval

    Construction

    Technical Production

    Installation

    Strike

    Storage

  • Projections for USAY and EMMEDIA

    Projections for USAY and EMMEDIA

    In the summer and fall of 2025 I got the opportunity to work with local youth through Urban Society of Aboriginal Youth and EMMEDIA Media Arts Gallery. Together we created outdoor projection installations on a local tipi and a historic building at the Confluence.

    This was my first time installing a stand alone projection setup that would withstand the outdoor elements for over 2 weeks.

    Key components:

    A projector enclosure – we went with a DeerTV Small Projector Enclosure. It is made of steel, waterproof, and keeps the internal temperature cool enough for the projector to work 24/7.

    A 24/7 projector – not all projectors can run all day and all night. I borrowed my friend’s Optoma long throw. It’s low voltage and can run continuously. It also fits in the enclosure with room for other gadgets, like power bars and media players.

    Event truss structure – how we kept the projector out of the way to avoid shadows and ne’er do wells. I worked with Starlite Event Rentals and they helped with installation and getting the projector up 12′ in the air.

    A long power cable – we purchased a 100′ power cable and pinned it down with landscaping staples to avoid tripping.

    Overall this installation was a success, and the incredible works of 4 different youth artists looped against the Confluence building for two weeks.

    This prepared me for my next outdoor installation, set in the dead of winter: Chinook Blast 2026.

  • Twist + Shout

    Twist + Shout

    Featured at 2024 Particle + Wave

    EMMEDIA + Telus Spark Science Centre

  • The Winter Bard: A musical activation

    The Winter Bard: A musical activation

    As part of Chinook Blast 2024’s Artist Installations. In partnership with Bell National Music Centre.

    Musical collaborator: Reed Shimozawa

  • The GRAND Residency

    The GRAND Residency

    2023 Sound-reactive projection and TouchDesigner

  • TD Amplify Cabaret Series

    TD Amplify Cabaret Series

    2022-2023. Calgary, AB

    Client/Funder: Arts Commons, TD Bank

    As part of the TD Artist Incubator, I designed the set projections for 4 variety show nights: Mars, Second Home; Venus Love; Earth Mother; Moon Indigo Child. Mentored by Sergeant x Comrade.

    An incredible opportunity to connect with artists across disciplines and the city!

    Inspiration: Twilight zone meets cosmic ego death.

    Process: Video collage in After Effects.

    Set design and cue-to-cue
    The office
    Yolanda Sergeant material testing
    Backstage with cohort members Jenny Crane + Kue Varo
    Opening night with my partner
    Lost Decade performing at Venus: Future Love
    Venus: Future Love group number
  • Face the Earth Music Video

    Face the Earth Music Video

    2023. Red Deer, AB.

    Client/Funder: Oliver Clarke and Face the Earth

    Working with music by Face the Earth to create abstract black and white visuals contrasting with loud bright colours.

    Inspiration: Inspired by the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” music video and particle effects.

    Process: Created in After Effects and projected with QLab4.5

    First time working on a music video – dream come true! First out of town projection gig, lots learned about bringing more than what you need!

    Red Deer Advocate Article