digital fabrication

The digital space between creator and object has fundamentally changed not only the way in which objects are made but also what it means to be a creator/maker. 

This digital space processes commands, or even generates those commands, guiding material and form realized in the physical world. It is a space wherein corporations lay claims, governments try to regulate, and individual explorers’ experiment, discover and map new territories.

The use and evolution of the term Rapid Prototyping, to 3D Printing, to Additive Manufacturing, are indicative of the changing angle of a technology’s line of progression within a context. The term Digital Fabrication better encompasses a wide breadth of contemporary technologies of which Additive Manufacturing is one type (actually, many).

The course will focus simultaneously on the technical aspects of digital fabrication as well as its cultural role and implications.

This semester we will be collaborating with the 3D print technology company, Stratasys.

Stratasys is one of the leading 3D print technology players today. They have invested in both developing print technologies and scouting applications – often through the support and collaboration with artists, designers, researchers, and students. The realm of 3D printing directly on existing materials is in its infancy, there is still much territory to cover – now is your chance to explore!