Kate Baker: Difficult Knowledge – A Solo Exhibition

Illuminating the Vision: Kate Baker’s Journey with Illuminart

When Australian artist Kate Baker approached illuminart for mentorship, she had an ambitious vision: to combine the tactile, organic nature of glass art with the ethereal possibilities of projection mapping and digital media. Her solo exhibition, Difficult Knowledge, currently showing at the Shanghai Museum of Glass, is her most complex and daring project yet, and she needed the right team to help turn her ideas into reality.

At illuminart, we understood the enormity of what Kate was trying to achieve. Her work would challenge the boundaries of traditional glass art, requiring precision in both technical execution and artistic vision. More importantly, it would transform how audiences experienced her art—no longer as passive viewers but as immersed participants in a multi-sensory narrative. This project was a perfect match for us. Not only do we specialise in storytelling through light and projection, but we also thrive on collaborations that expand the possibilities of digital media.

The mentorship spanned 18 months, beginning with Kate’s foundational ideas and culminating in an international exhibition. Throughout the process, we became partners in experimentation, innovation, and discovery.

Crafting Light and Glass Together

At the heart of Kate’s work lay a challenge: how to make moving images interact seamlessly with the dense textures and unique forms of glass. Projection mapping was the answer—but it wasn’t as simple as pointing a projector at her sculptures. We needed to ensure every beam of light and every pixel told a story.

Kate brought us her raw footage and early concepts for her installations, particularly Little Fish and Homage to Bausch. These were the core works she wanted to focus on, both of which relied heavily on precise digital projection to bring them to life. Our role went beyond providing technical expertise; we worked to understand the emotional and conceptual depth of her pieces. Why were these stories important? What emotions did she want her audience to feel? By answering these questions together, we could ensure the technology served the art, not the other way around.

Cindi Drennan, illuminart’s Artistic Director, provided Kate with custom projection mapping templates, allowing her to visualise how the light would dance across the glass surfaces. “It’s all about interaction,” Cindi explains. “Kate’s work demanded that the technology disappear, so what remained was the pure magic of light and material blending together. It’s not just technical; it’s emotional.”

Experimentation as a Partnership

Innovation rarely happens without experimentation. Kate’s mentorship included extensive test projections, which became a creative laboratory. These tests weren’t just about getting the equipment right; they were an opportunity to refine how the projected imagery would interact with the glass sculptures. Each session uncovered new possibilities—and new challenges.

We helped Kate explore how light travels through thick, textured glass and how projection angles and distances could alter the mood of her work. For example, in Little Fish, the moving images of children swimming needed to feel almost suspended within the glass—an effect that required precision in both the positioning of projectors and the quality of the footage. These moments of discovery weren’t just technical wins; they were deeply creative breakthroughs. They allowed Kate to push her work into uncharted territory.

Bringing It All Together in Shanghai

When the time came to install the works at the Shanghai Museum of Glass, our commitment to the project didn’t end with remote mentorship. Co-founder Craig Laurendet travelled to Shanghai to oversee the installation and programming of the projection systems. His presence on-site ensured that every detail—from equipment calibration to final image alignment—was executed to perfection.

“For a project like this, the technical setup is as much a part of the art as the sculptures themselves,” Craig says. “You’re creating an ecosystem where every component—light, sound, material—has to work together seamlessly. It’s incredibly rewarding when it all comes together.”

The result was breathtaking. Kate’s installations, illuminated by projection, became living, breathing works of art. Little Fish drew viewers into an intimate reflection on childhood and history, while Homage to Bausch invited audiences to confront the emotional complexities of relationships. Each piece was transformed by the mentorship’s blend of technical precision and artistic empathy.

Why This Matters

Kate’s journey with illuminart is more than just a story of mentorship; it’s a testament to what’s possible when art and technology come together with purpose. By supporting her vision, we also expanded our own understanding of what projection mapping can achieve. The success of Difficult Knowledge underscores our belief that the right combination of skills, technology, and collaboration can bring even the most ambitious ideas to life.

For us, it’s not just about the projects we support—it’s about the stories we help tell. Kate Baker’s story is one of courage, experimentation, and the kind of artistry that changes how we see the world.  Congratulations, Kate Baker, its beautiful work.

For a project like this, the technical setup is as much a part of the art as the sculptures themselves. You’re creating an ecosystem where every component—light, sound, material—has to work together seamlessly. It’s incredibly rewarding when it all comes together.

Craig Laurendet