Exhibit opening

Our exhibit at Rare Device in San Francisco starts tomorrow at 7pm.  Here are some quick snap shots from the setup.  It should be pretty exciting, so please come by if you are in the area. It is located at 1845 Market St.

We have packed the show with lots of new work.  There are four types of 3D printing represented including a new ceramic material currently being developed by Viridis3D.  We also have traditionally produced ceramic prototypes.  There will be two iPad apps and videos to enable people to participate in the exhibition.  In addition every piece is accompanied by explanations of the science behind the pieces, the manufacturing techniques, and our design process.  For even more information, come to the opening and talk to us.

Renegade Craft Fair

Catching up on more old news here…. we had a lot of fun at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago.  We used some of the leftover panels from our NYIGF tradeshow booth to add more display space to our usual bent wood display (not pictured).

NYIGF booth #3971 in progress

Computational Design Worksession #1

We just completed our first computational design meeting/session/thing, and I will tentatively say it was a success.  I think we are still feeling around for what the focus of these worksessions is going to be, but so far things are progressing.  We had about half a dozen people show up, with a majority either MIT or sprout affiliated.  The event managed to self-select well with people seeming to have a genuine interest in doing work rather than a hesitant curiosity.  There was a lot of introduction of “who are you” or “what is going on here”, which I would like to get away from but I understand that it is necessary for starting something.

We will be meeting again next week on Tuesday and Thursday.  We may change the 6pm-9pm time since most people did not show up until 7pm.  I will ask people who come next Tuesday if they have a preferred time.

The idea of building something collaboratively seemed to appeal, so that is a direction we may go.   I would also like to bring in more computation focused people, since I feel that was a bit lacking.  We are contacting some exciting people, which I will publicize if they are actually coming.  We may also invite guests to give a talk for an hour or so, and then stay after to exchange ideas/do work for an hour or two.

If you are interested, please come to next session, or if you cannot just spread the word.   Also, I think there will be a Processing study group going on at the same time on Tuesdays, so if you are a beginner and would prefer to focus on learning you can come and go to that.

worksessions in computational design

Where are all the computational designers in the US?  Every time I find a new, interesting artist in the field, they are almost always in Europe.  Are people in the US really doing less algorithmic work, or are students playing with this stuff more inclined to get a job at some large corporation instead of pursuing their own independent projects?In the spirit of finding out, we will be hosting open worksessions in computational design at sprout in Boston.  This will be a place people can come with projects or ideas they are working to share, collaborate, learn, debug, discuss, and refine.  We welcome people from a wide range disciplines and abilities.  This is a very open-ended endeavor, and I would be happy to see a variety of activities to emerge: impromptu talks, lessons, collaborations, open tools and libraries, shows. We will let you know how the event evolves and please come and help shape it if you have a passion for design and computation.when: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6pm-9pm starting Sept 17where: sprout 339R Summer St Somerville, MA 02144 (near Davis Sq just past the Rosebud diner, building is in the back at the end of the driveway)

we’re at SIGGRAPH in New Orleans as Artists-in-Residence

We’re working on a concept for using 3d printing to create a housewares line.  lamps, vases, etc

This weekend: Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn

Just a quick note that we will be at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this weekend. The show features over 250 crafters/designers hawking their wares in McCarren Park. Come see us at booth #151, the weather forecast is looking great! This is our third Renegade show and hopefully it will be the best one yet.  Come check out our new Cell Cycle pieces.

Back from ICFF

We got back from ICFF a week ago, and we’ve been really busy following up since then.   It was a lot of fun, and our new line had a very good reception.  The new pieces will be available online soon and at several stores including A+R in LA and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.  We also have them at the Brooklyn Renegade craft fair on June 6+7.Thanks to everyone we met and talked to especially Grace from design*sponge, Lloyd from treehugger, Katherine from readymade, and William from metropolis.  It was also great to see JB from blueoculus again, who I exhibited with at A+ in the NYIGF last February, and delightful to exhibit next to Jean Pelle.

Come see us, Sunday at Bazaar Bizarre Boston!

This Sunday, December 7th we will be participating in Bazaar Bizarre, a great craft fair taking place at Park Plaza’s Castle on Arlington St. in Boston.  The show runs from 12pm until 7pm.  Please stop by to shop and chat!  We will have all kinds of new things and all of the old ones too. New things include these wool felt necklaces in grey, pink, black and orange:

Tokyo!

We went to Tokyo to exhibit at the 100% Design show in Jingu Gaien with designboom.  I was surprised by how different the show was from ICFF but overall it was a good experience.  At the show we met the shop chief of the Mori Arts Center museum shop in Roppongi Hills and she really liked our rubber and felt designs!  So I am happy to annouce that you can now buy our works at the Mori Arts Center museum shop.

I found the Roppongi Hills development to be pretty exciting actually although I heard many people talking negatively about it.  The area is one of the largest property developments in Japan owned and built by the Mori company which is also one of the country’s most generous patrons of the arts.  The museum is in the main tower of the development and seems to be considered one of the most important venues for contemporary art in Tokyo.  Certainly our work has never been featured at such a prominent location.  The shop features a great mix of work, largely by japanese designers/artisans.  It was great to see a completely new set of products distinct from the pieces I see over and over again at the MOMA design shop and similar stores.

Below are some quick shots I took of the mori arts center / mori tower and opposing them is Murakami’s optimistic, fantastical and positively explosive rendering of the tower complete with friendly dinosaur unicorns and field of smiling flowers.  I snagged this one as a poster for a couple dollars, score!

You can also find our work at 17dixsept design gallery in the Daikanyama area of Tokyo