Shaw, A., 2013.

SEAMLESS THE DIGITAL IN DESIGN

The curatorial direction of this exhibition evolved from the concept of ‘Seamlessness’ (as explored in previous research outputs). Here it has been expanded to include design, broadly.

New technologies have changed the way design is conceived, developed and fabricated. Digital approaches open up new interdisciplinary networks that enable techniques and materials to migrate from one discipline to another. As a result established design boundaries such as fashion, product, graphics, media and architectural design are re-configuring and specialisms are breaking down.

Digital approaches enable the exploration of previously impossible paradigms such as inter-dimensional, scale-less, repeat-less and seamless design. This shift is reflected in the practice and research of the staff at Manchester School of Art with backgrounds in fashion, textile, 3-D, graphic, media, interior, and architectural Design; who are thinking through innovative engagement with interdisciplinary design, and through inter-technological approaches.

The exhibition explores individual and collaborative responses to the concept of ‘Seamlessness’ with an emphasis on digital 3-dimensional thinking, technology, materiality and fabrication. When combined with contextually and conceptually-driven approaches, these new and innovative contributions reposition design. This provides an opportunity for trans-European design dialogue and a contribution to current discourse, which is attempting to define ‘design research’ in terms of methodologies and practice.

My role as DRC leader facilitated the bringing together the work of 32 predominantly Design academic staff and research fellows from Manchester School of Art and show at The National Museum of Architecture and Design in Ljubljana. The museum has an international reputation, having hosted the BIO international Design Biennial on 23 occasions.


EXHIBITING DESIGNERS:
Louise Adkins, Kirsteen Aubrey, Mark Beecroft, Oliver Blank, Keith Brown, Fabrizio Cocchiarella, David Crow, Vanessa Cuthbert, Joe Duffy, Michael Eden, Robert George, Jon Hanann, Steve Hawley, Toby Heys, Saoirse Higgins, Jonathan Hitchen, Nigel Hurlstone, Hilary Judd, Alice Kettle Amanda Langdown, Joe McCullagh, Jane McKeating, Monomatic (Lewis Sykes, Ben Lycett & Nick Rothwell), Sally Morfill, CJ O’Neill, Alex Russell, Robert Saucier, Ulysses Sengupta, Annie Shaw, Huw Wahl

In addition to curating the show commissioning and editing the catalogue, I exhibited work. I am interested in the spaces we inhabit: clothes, rooms, buildings, cities and connecting them through materiality.
The new Manchester School of Art building features cast concrete columns, which are embellished with a digital version of a printed wallpaper design, created in 1886 by Lewis Foreman Day (1845-1910)
A brick column supports the gallery space in MAO traces of a floral wallpaper cling to the crumbling plaster.
A third column was created for the exhibition, covered in floral, textured seamless knitting, developed on Shima Seiki’s © advanced CAD and manufacturing systems. It provides a material link between the two locations.
http://www.mao.si/Exhibition/Seamless-The-Digital-in-Design.aspx

IMAGES:
https://www.facebook.com/muzej.za.arhitekturo.in.oblikovanje/photos_stream

WEBSITE: http://seamlessdigitaldesign.com

CATALOGUE: (with full Slovenian translation)
ISBN 9 781900 756754 (Editor)

EXHIBITED WORK:
‘Connected Column’ (2013) 70 X 42 cm X 2.9M Wood/Wool/Brick/Associated ephemera

OPENING NIGHT LECTURE 19th September 2013:
‘Digital discourse in design’.

TV Coverage:
http://ava.rtvslo.si/predvajaj/manchester-school-of-art-pri-nas/ava2.174239134/