For L’Artisan Electronique, Unfold created -aside from the ceramic printer- a virtual pottery wheel in collaboration with Tim Knapen. This pottery wheel gives visitors a chance to ‘turn’ their own forms. At regular intervals, a selection of these designs is printed in clay and exhibited in the space.

In L’Artisan Electronique, pottery, one of the oldest artisanal techniques for making utilitarian objects, is combined with new digital techniques. The virtual pottery wheel was realsied by means of a 3D-scanner and digital design software. However, the installation still clearly refers to the artisanal process of working in clay. The printing process imitates the traditional technique used by ceramicists, in which the form is built up by stacking coils of clay.

L’Artisan Electronique is an installation commissioned by Z33 Art Centre for the exhibition Design by Performance and developed in collaboration with Tim Knapen and the RepRap community.

Design by Performance, from 14.03.2010 to 30.05.2010 at Z33 Hasselt, Belgium

Photos: Liesje Reyskens & Kristof Vrancken for Z33