Symbio Vessel 15.171.15 

“I wanted to explore the notion of a traditional vessel (typically intended to be utilitarian and simple) and augment and contrast that by introducing abstract structural modifications, complexity, and detail achievable through algorithms and computational geometry. I also sought to push the boundaries of possibilities in terms of medium and chose to experiment in paper with its beautiful, tactile, delicate qualities.

The build process for the vessels revolves around both a sequential back-and-forth and an interactive collaboration between human and machines. Individual elements first are hand-drawn, then refined using digital design tools. They are then arranged in an interactive parametric design phase where various curves and values are tuned through visual feedback to obtain the final shape. Computers and a laser cutter compute the shape of and physically cut the many hundreds of parts. The assembly of each vessel is done entirely by hand using glue, pins, and a scalpel. It is the flaws which come with the human hand that produce the beautiful end result.”

-Julia Ibbini