Aleksander Andželović: PRINTED MOVEMENT – From Digital Sculpting to 3D Printing
Exhibition opening:: Tuesday, 22. 9. 2026 at 20.00, OBRAT
Guided tour: Friday, 25 9. 2026 at 11.00, OBRAT
22. 09. - 16. 10. 2026 / OBRAT
The puppet theatre series Transport - comprising the performances Cargo, Departure, Connecting Flights, Frontline, Fasten Your Seatbelts!, and Breaking Point - was created as an international co-production involving six European theatres from Slovenia, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic, initiated by author and director Tin Grabnar. The performances are underpinned by a hyper-realistic miniature depiction of the world, confronting the audience with the grim realities of ecological crises, wars, the depletion of natural resources, and the loss of cultural identity.
The central technological premise of these performances is rooted in 3D modelling and printing, which not only enable the creation of complex, hyper-realistic worlds on a miniature scale but also dictate the method of their animation. Aleksander Andželović, a sculptor and puppet technologist, designed and crafted the figures, buildings, vehicles, flora, and fauna. For the Transport project, he developed and elevated his mastery of 3D computer modelling, utilising complex textures and material combinations to achieve an astonishingly high level of detail in the resulting miniatures. A digital skeleton built into the models - consisting of virtual bones and joints - allowed him to use movement reference points in virtual space to pose the protagonists' figures into the various stances envisioned by the director. The finalised models were then printed using a resin 3D printer, which operates by layering photosensitive resin. This technology ensures the precise transfer of digitally designed details and textures (such as buttons, facial expressions, and fabric weaves) directly onto the printed physical objects.
Andželović’s design facilitated the chosen animation technique of the performance, which operates on the principles of stop-motion animation. Through the meticulous choreography of sequential static images, a kinetic illusion of movement is generated, ultimately piecing itself together within the viewer’s imagination.
The exhibition showcases replicas of the crafted objects and figures, alongside the entire working process: from its technological foundations to its creative aspects.
Maribor Puppet Theatre - Transport Festival in collaboration with StopTrik IFF