Reactions
After viewing the exhibit: “This Is for Everyone: Design Experiments for the Common Good” at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), I have become inspired. Most of the works were forms that I did not expect to see at an exhibit. Everything seemed somewhat unconventional.
The water jugs from the Botanica series were not jugs that I have perceived before, and the new technologies that served a greater purpose seemed unusual to me. The exhibit was eye-opening, and it reminded me of a lesson from the last chapter of Fabricated that resounded with me the most.
These works achieved the concept of “thinking outside the box.” The artists developed true innovation rather than manipulating and modifying an existing design. I hope to be like these artists and have the courage and creativity to think differently.
Favorite Pieces
I found all of the works in the exhibit fascinating and resourceful, but I especially liked three pieces that I felt I could relate to. I was also impressed by how the artists came to these solutions from the needs that I also have, but I have never thought about resolving:
By: Technology Will Save Us
Method of production: Circuit boards, electronic components, LED screen, and open-source software are components of the piece.
By: Jessica Rosenkrantz, Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, and Nervous System
Method of production: Scan is made of client’s body, and then 3D printer laser-sinters nylon powder according to the scan.
By: Andrea Trimarchi, Simone Farresin, and Studio Formafantasma
Method of production: Work is crafted with Bois durci, dewaxed shellac, colophonia, wood fibers, wood branches, and unglazed ceramic.
Observations & Lessons
Two things I observed in this exhibit is that the works are universal and involve a great cause or solution to an important need. The major lesson that I have gained from the exhibit is that in this bountiful world that we live in, we are often blinded from current issues that are happening around us. The exhibit followed a theme of relieving universal needs, and allowing more people to engage in these solutions.
For example, not everyone is fully aware of the impact of dying bee populations. BEE’S Project by Susana Soares, Design Interactions Department, and Royal College of Art created a possible solution to mediate the problem of the bee epidemic.
While DIY Gamer Kit by Technology Will Save Us offers the ability for anyone to code and design their own games through the device. The DIY Gamer Kit is one example of Technology Will Save Us’ dedication to promote the “maker culture.”
Additionally, Botanica V by Andrea Trimarchi, Simone Farresin, and Studio Formafantasma represents an excellent solution to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions that results from producing artificial polymers. The Botanica series includes water jugs that are created from natural products from plants and animal waste. This could be a revolutionary answer to reducing the effects of global warming, which is an imminent problem at the moment. By replacing synthetic polymers with natural ones in building products, we could decrease our dependence on oil and other polluting non-renewable resources.
Relating to the Course
The Kinematics Dress reflects exactly what we have learned in class. In Fabricated, the authors project that the use of complex mathematical models and other sciences involved in nature is necessary in 3D printing. To design the dress, Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg utilized their knowledge of organic forms. Their work overlaps the ideologies of math, science, and 3D printing.
The Free Universal Construction Kit by Golan Levin, Free Art and Technology Lab, R. Shawn Sims, and Sy-Lab also reiterates what we have learned so far. The over 70 construction components were printed from an open source collection of free 3D design files. The Free Universal Construction Kit is free to download, modify, and print. Also discussed in Fabricated, the future of 3D printing embodies design banks that allows easy access and use.