LAVA designs digital technologies exhibition

LAVA has designed the exhibition «Out of Hand: Materialising the Digital» which runs at the Powerhouse Museum until 25 June 2017. The immersive space is a trajectory through the history of digital manufacturing, featuring works by more than 60 artists, designers and architects from around the world, such as Zaha Hadid, Iris van Herpen and Ron Arad. Chris Bosse, director of LAVA, said: «Designing the exhibition was a dream come true. As a practice deeply entrenched in digital fabrication technologies it was exciting to create an immersive space that gives room for story telling and objects while being part of the story itself.»

«Our design was inspired by the exhibition content: The experience is a continuous line through out the space expressing the infinite possibilities generated through the emerging of digital data collection and digital manufacture. This line runs along three strips of various heights on which the artworks are displayed at ideal levels to be viewed.»

The curves were created with an internal timber structure and bendable plywood. Horizontal surfaces were CNC cut in batches and then assembled on site, proving to be cost and time effective. The cool white interior space is lined with concealed strip lighting, creating a sense that the structures are floating. The seamless, clean white finish allows the objects to capture the full attention of the viewer whilst also creating the illusion of infinite depths in the sweeps of the curves.

«As a firm at the forefront in the use of digital technologies across the globe, LAVA was well placed to execute the design and we were thrilled to win the PHM design competition.»
The exhibition examines «the place and impact of digital technology in the design and production of objects, recognizing that many techniques have emerged from past ideas and are now defining new possibilities, understandings and expectations.»

Photo © LAVA