d i g i t a l . b o d i e s¶
i n s p i r a t i o n¶
Iris Van Herpen's work is a profound inspiration for me, especially during Digital Bodies week, where the integration of technology and the human form takes center stage. Her collaboration with Swarovski in Vienna, particularly her "Biomorphism installation" project, perfectly encapsulates this fusion. Van Herpen created a striking crystal-encrusted 3D-printed headpiece, modeled after the contours of the human face using 3D scanning technology.
The use of 3D scanning in this project allowed Van Herpen to capture the nuances of the human face with extraordinary precision, translating the contours into a form that merges art, fashion, and technology. For me, this application of technology offers a perfect example of how digital fabrication techniques can redefine our understanding of the human body, emphasizing transformation rather than replication. Her work, particularly with these digital renderings of the body, challenges the traditional limitations of design, making it a profound source of inspiration as I explore how we can use similar methods to merge the body with cutting-edge fabrication processes during Digital Bodies week.
Richard Dupont’s sculptures take the human form and push it to its breaking point, creating distorted figures that challenge our perception of the body. Using 3D scanning technology, Dupont often begins with his own body as the subject, capturing its exact dimensions before manipulating the data to stretch, warp, and deform the final sculpture. His self-scanned works are not mere representations of the human figure but rather a reimagining of identity and physicality, as if the body is in flux, constantly shifting. The exaggerated limbs and twisted torsos seem frozen in a state of transformation, revealing the tension between the organic and the digital.
What makes Dupont’s sculptures especially intriguing is this interplay between hyper-accurate digital scans and the resulting distorted physical forms. His use of materials like fiberglass, rubber, and bronze further amplifies the sense of distortion, making the sculptures feel like they’re caught in a suspended, almost alien state.
Yervand Kochar, a pioneering Armenian artist, broke traditional boundaries with his revolutionary approach to sculpture and painting. Known for his dynamic and non-standard works, Kochar’s art embodies a powerful fusion of painting, sculpture, and movement. His concept of Painting in Space (Les Peintures dans l’espace), developed in the 1930s while living in Paris, transformed the static nature of art into something fluid and ever-changing. Unlike traditional sculptures, his works integrate metal panels that are painted and set in motion with the help of an engine. As the panels slowly rotate, viewers experience a unique synthesis of space and time, where separate visual elements merge, revealing a constantly evolving form. Kochar’s sculptures challenge conventional forms, as his innovative use of motion invites viewers to perceive art not as a frozen moment, but as something dynamic and transformative.
Kochar’s innovative approach is exemplified in his 1934 work "Les Peintures dans l’espace," which has been on permanent display at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris since 1963.
For Digital Bodies, his exploration of movement and spatial manipulation parallels how technologies like 3D scanning and modeling allow us to break down and reassemble human forms in new, dynamic ways.
Misha Libertee, also known as Michael Tsaturyan, is an innovative artist who blends large-scale urban sculptures with important social messages. One of his most notable works is Slonik, a 23-meter-tall inflatable elephant created for the 2019 Burning Man Festival. This colossal green elephant was designed to raise awareness about the abuse and extinction of elephants in Africa and Asia, where they are often subjected to cruelty for tourism purposes. Through Slonik, Misha highlighted the environmental and ethical issues surrounding wildlife exploitation, creating a visual protest that resonated across the desert. His use of 3D modeling allowed for precise design and planning, ensuring Slonik could be realized in both the physical and virtual worlds, bringing attention to the cause in new, dynamic ways.
After its debut in the Nevada desert, Slonik took on new forms, both in the Metaverse and physically in Armenia. At Fab Lab Armenia, we brought Slonik to life again by transforming Misha’s digital model into a 2.44-meter wooden sculpture. Our team used FreeCAD to slice the 3D model into 154 precise parts, then milled them using a CNC machine to construct the wooden figure. Now residing in Dilijan, this reincarnated Slonik continues to inspire, symbolizing not only the importance of protecting nature but also the fusion of art, technology, and creativity.
Antony Gormley has become my biggest discovery this week, especially following the insightful lecture by Anastasia Pistofidou. Gormley’s approach to the human body profoundly challenges conventional perceptions, as he proposes that the body should not be seen merely as an object or abject but rather as a significant space filled with potential and meaning. His sculptures, often cast from his own body, invite viewers to reflect on their physicality and existence within a larger context. By emphasizing the body as a "place," Gormley encourages a deeper exploration of the relationship between the self and the environment, prompting thought-provoking questions about identity, memory, and the human experience.
Antony Gormley's lecture, titled "Antony Gormley: The Body in & as Space," delves into his exploration of the human figure as a site of memory and transformation.
ANTONY GORMLEY: THE BODY IN & AS SPACE
"I want to think about the body as a subjective condition, but also the universal condition of human exictance" A. GORMLEY
m y . b o d y . i s . a . h o u s e¶
i d e a¶
My project revisits a long-held belief that has gained depth and urgency since I became a parent. The human body is not merely a separate existence; it serves as a home for another being, as well as a host to countless bacteria, microbes, and other organisms that significantly influence our well-being, often manipulating our physical and emotional states in ways we may not fully recognize. This perspective shifts the narrative from viewing our bodies as isolated vessels to recognizing them as complex ecosystems. Just as Antony Gormley’s work explores the body as a space for memory and transformation, I aim to delve into the idea that our bodies are vibrant environments rich with life and connection.
Through this project, I seek to challenge the common perception of our bodies as mere objects for exploitation and consumption. Instead, I want to illustrate that we are both a food source and a storage unit for physical and emotional experiences. By embracing this interconnectedness, we can develop a more holistic understanding of ourselves—not just as individuals but as part of a larger web of life.
m a g i c . p a r t . o n e¶
This project investigates the intersection of art, biology, and technology. The first part of the experience involves creating a 3D-printed head using transparent PLA filament, designed to print with a low infill of just 5%. At the core of this sculpture lies a blob of Physarum polycephalum, a remarkable slime mold known for its unique properties and behavior. This particular blob was collected from the forests of Dilijan five years ago and has been in a dormant state since then. Over time, it will spread throughout the hollow structure of the head, symbolizing the dynamic relationship between our bodies and the myriad microorganisms that inhabit them. The transparent material allows viewers to observe the growth process, creating an engaging visual narrative about life, growth, and transformation.
Physarum polycephalum, commonly referred to as a blob, showcases incredible resilience and adaptability. Found in the forests of Dilijan, this slime mold can enter a dormant state, surviving for years without food or moisture. After being rehydrated and provided with nutrients, it can revive, illustrating the concept of rebirth and the persistence of life. As the blob grows within the head, it serves as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of life forms and the layers of existence within our bodies. This project aims to provoke thought about our role not only as consumers and exploiters of resources but also as intricate ecosystems ourselves, hosting a myriad of organisms that influence our physical and emotional states.
The blob is fascinating for its ability to exhibit behaviors typically associated with intelligence, despite lacking a central nervous system. It can navigate complex environments, find food, and avoid danger using a decentralized network of protoplasmic streaming. This slime mold can even solve mazes and optimize paths to food sources, demonstrating a form of biological intelligence that challenges our understanding of cognition and awareness in living systems. This project explores these ideas, encouraging viewers to reconsider their perceptions of consciousness and life.
m a g i c . p a r t . t w o¶
The slime mold Physarum polycephalum creates complex, efficient networks that solve transportation and connectivity problems, resembling natural systems like train and road networks. When faced with multiple food sources, P. polycephalum connects them by forming a network akin to solutions for the Steiner tree problem, balancing energy conservation and efficiency. These networks have been compared to human-engineered systems, such as the rail network around Tokyo, demonstrating similar levels of cost-effectiveness, fault tolerance, and connectivity. Despite lacking a nervous system, this slime mold's behavior exhibits signs of problem-solving and memory, which has led to significant interest in its potential for bio-computing. Researchers continue to study its network-building strategies, exploring its use in biological computing systems capable of logic operations.
My second idea, inspired by Anastasia Pistofidou's approach, is to slice a 3D model of a head and cut the layers from clear acrylic. The layers would then be engraved with the paths created by slime molds. This would create an artistic way to show how these organisms move and solve problems. In the future, during BioFabrication week, it could lead to an exciting experiment where I try to guide the slime molds' behavior, exploring how this natural intelligence could be used in creative designs.
t o o l s¶
i m p l e m e n t a t i o n¶
t o . f o r m . o r . d e f o r m¶
