In his recent 3D print party German artist in residence at Jaaga, Fabian Hesse sought to assemble a 3D printer together, using open hardware and software for a do-it-yourself experience.
Meanwhile he had also brought a running 3D printer with him, which would be printing objects live at the party. And he displayed previously printed objects, some designed, some downloaded, some based on photos or drawings sent to him.
He also displayed an abstract object designed by him, a physical representation of data, something Fabian specializes in.
“I am interesting in using the machine in a way that is specific to the machine, in that it should not be created by a mould and I string the object layer by layer without it sticking to the previous layer,” says Fabian.
“There is a randomness to it that goes beyond identical reproduction of copy-paste, where the file can be printed anytime. Here the object will be different each time.”
Previously Fabian has printed out the contents of his Yahoo inbox as well as statistics by the NGO Transparency International.
“It is a way for me to work with that data in a sculptural way. I make fun stuff with it. By printing out data the way I do it, no information is visible anymore. Information becomes abstract or loses its context as information.”
Fabian who studied sculpture and architecture says he is always interested in what happens in society.
“I worked with public spaces before, through architectural inventions and projects in public spaces. Now I see that there is a new public space emerging there, digitalization has completely changed society in all fields.”
Though his latest work, with the 3D printer has not direct connection with public spaces, the internet is what links both. It is through the internet that he showcases the process of making an open 3D printer, which is the project that he is currently working on.
“The internet as a public space is interesting, in how the public-ness of this space is challenged and also how the public-ness challenges privacy of the other hand.” The printer will still take time, since it has to be assembled part-by-part, and some parts are designed and customized by him.
“The printer is specified for my needs as a sculptor. I started it here, but it will take a few more months to complete after development and testing. Still there will be visible results at the end of my project, which is a long-term project.”
What he will be showcasing is a secret, but after the print party, where he displayed men’s underwear printed with data used for identifying and tracking, one can only imagine.
