{"id":4216,"date":"2018-03-01T06:54:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T06:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimakerstage.wpengine.com\/learn\/"},"modified":"2023-12-13T14:35:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T14:35:00","slug":"a-study-in-innovative-design-at-the-cincinnati-art-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimaker.com\/nl\/learn\/a-study-in-innovative-design-at-the-cincinnati-art-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"A study in innovative design at the Cincinnati Art Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Iris<\/div>\n

A study in innovative design at the Cincinnati Art Museum<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n

Dedicated to promoting inventive art-related exhibits and programs, the Cincinnati Art Museum is exploring the relationship between 3D printing and fashion by highlighting the work of designer Iris van Herpen. With the recent inclusion of an\u00a0Ultimaker 3 printer<\/a>, the museum aims to educate visitors about the vast applications of 3D printing and the value it can bring to the creative process where science meets art.

<\/p><\/div>\n

Avant-garde fashion at the Art Palace of the West<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0Cincinnati Art Museum<\/a>\u00a0is one of the oldest visual arts institutions in the United States, heralded as the \u201cArt Palace of the West\u201d when it opened on May 17th, 1886. Today, the museum boasts over 200,000 square feet and features 88 exhibition galleries, the Mary R. Schiff Library, a conservation laboratory, and more\u2014all of which welcomes approximately 200,000 visitors every year.<\/p>\n

Among the museum\u2019s encyclopedic collection of nearly 65,000 objects that span 6,000 years was a recent exhibit on\u00a0Iris van Herpen<\/a>, a Dutch fashion designer who specializes in 3D printed attire. In addition to creating two new collections every year, van Herpen participates in exhibitions across the world. The Transforming Fashion exhibit in the Western Southern Gallery at the Cincinnati Art Museum ran from October 13th, 2017 to January 7th, 2018.<\/p><\/section>\n

\"Transforming<\/figure><\/div>\n
The Transforming Fashion exhibit features 3D printed garments by Iris van Herpen. Credit: Cincinnati Art Museum<\/div><\/div>\n

Iris van Herpen first incorporated 3D printing in her 2012 Crystallization collection and has continued to blend different technologies into her garment creations. Although some of her clothing is fully 3D printed, other modules are 3D printed and then combined with handwork to finish a piece. For Iris, it\u2019s about using the method that will best replicate her vision, which the Transforming Fashion exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum showcased in full force.<\/p>\n

Setting fashion trends in creative technology<\/h2>\n

The exhibition boasted impressive origins; it was co-organized by the\u00a0High Museum of Art<\/a>\u00a0in Atlanta and the\u00a0Groninger Museum<\/a>\u00a0in the Netherlands. Items for the exhibit were curated by Sarah Schleuning of the High Museum of Art, as well as Mark Wilson and Sue-an van der Zijpp of the Groninger Museum. Transforming Fashion featured 45 dresses, 9 pairs of shoes, and various samples that allowed guests to feel some of the materials used to create these garments.<\/p>\n

As the exhibit was interactive, it was important that the museum also displayed a 3D printer to highlight the process of creating such unique apparel. By incorporating an Ultimaker 3 into the museum\u2019s program during Iris van Herpen\u2019s exhibit, Alex Otte Callon, coordinator of the Rosenthal Education Center (REC), aimed to spotlight the immersive, hands-on experience of 3D printing and inspire visitors to think of the possibilities it can hold.<\/p><\/section>\n

\"Ultimaker<\/div>\n
An Ultimaker 3 at the REC. Credit: Cincinnati Art Museum<\/div><\/div>\n
\"3D<\/figure><\/div>\n
3D prints on display. Credit: Cincinnati Art Museum<\/div><\/div>\n

\u201cThe Rosenthal Education Center has a dedicated interactive space that changes twice a year,<\/i>\u201d Alex says. \u201cThemes for the interactive space are based on the permanent collection, special exhibitions, and elements of art and world cultures.<\/i>\u201d Not only did the 3D printer work alongside the fashion exhibit to highlight how such garments were crafted, but also it added to the interactive element that tied together art and education.<\/p>\n

3D printing technology is a wonderful example of the kinds of connections and collaborations that can occur between scientific and artistic fields.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although Iris van Herpen\u2019s work tends to draw a fashion-forward audience, Cynthia Amneus, Chief Curator and Curator of Fashion Arts and Textiles, expected that the technological elements of the exhibit would fascinate guests of all interests and ages. Throughout the duration of the exhibit, Cynthia was interested in drawing a range visitors from architects to engineers and artists, all of whom who would relate to Iris’s work. The flexibility of 3D printing across many disciplines and industries is something that visitors of any experience level were able to enjoy, as it gave clear insight into how these tools are incorporated into design and product development.<\/p>\n

Demystifying the 3D printer for the masses<\/h2>\n

The team at the Cincinnati Art Museum was eager to get their hands on an Ultimaker printer when the exhibit first came up as a possibility. \u201cFrom the moment we put this exhibition on the calendar, one of my top priorities was to have a 3D printer on site,<\/i>\u201d Cynthia explains. \u201c3D printing is still such a mystery to most people and I thought it was important to demystify the process and educate visitors about how 3D printing works.<\/i>\u201d

<\/p><\/section>\n

\"Ultimaker<\/figure><\/div>\n
The Ultimaker 3 printer and a finished print at the REC. Credit: Cincinnati Art Museum<\/div><\/div>\n

It was essential for the REC team to deftly highlight the elements of conceptual thinking and design involved in 3D printing applications; in the case of Iris van Herpen, 3D printed elements are often combined with traditional handwork. The\u00a0Ultimaker 3<\/a>\u00a0printer, they found, was not only seamless to set up and incorporate self-explanatory but also simple to use when explaining these methodologies.\u00a0Ultimaker Cura<\/a>\u00a0was helpful for slicing models and setting up prints with ease as well, saving the museum time and leaping over learning curve hurdles.<\/p>\n

I love how self-explanatory the Ultimaker Cura software is, and how the Ultimaker 3 can basically take care of itself. And if I need to make an adjustment or load new filament, it gives me step by step instructions.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although Alex was nervous to set up and use a 3D printer without prior experience, she was excited about how simple the process was on the Ultimaker 3. Because of this, the REC team hit the ground running and built a robust exhibit as a spotlight on Iris van Herpen\u2019s impressively innovative techniques.<\/p><\/section>\n

\"Iris<\/figure><\/div>\n
Examples of Iris van Herpen\u2019s 3D printed work. Credit: Cincinnati Art Museum<\/div><\/div>\n

\u201cEngineering, philosophy, and creativity meet in van Herpen\u2019s work,<\/i>\u201d Cynthia says. With notable collaborations that include Benthem Crouwel Architects and Rem D. Koolhaas and clients like Beyonc\u00e9, Bj\u00f6rk, and Tilda Swinton, van Herpen explores new approaches while pushing fashion to a conceptual and inspirational level. The REC team hopes to continue to encourage visitors who are interested in fashion to explore the world of 3D printing, while those interested in additive manufacturing tools like Ultimaker will recognize the unique application of 3D printing in design.<\/p>\n

A 3D-printed future at the Cincinnati Art Museum<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0Ultimaker 3<\/a>\u00a0lived in the Rosenthal Education Center for the duration of the Iris van Herpen exhibit, where it remains a part of a variety of projects today. In addition to visitors interacting with the printer during museum hours, REC staff is using the Ultimaker 3 to print an assortment of art objects, wearable designs, and other thematic prints.<\/p><\/section>\n

\"REC<\/figure><\/div>\n
Young visitors and the Ultimaker 3. Credit: Cincinnati Art Museum<\/div><\/div>\n
\"REC<\/figure><\/div>\n
Learning about the Ultimaker 3. Credit: Cincinnati Art Museum<\/div><\/div>\n

The team is also working with students at the University of Cincinnati in the Design for America program to develop Cincinnati Art Museum themed prints and build a library of models to use. \u201cThis is a technology that is not always accessible to every audience,<\/i>\u201d Alex says, \u201cso by having it available for the public in a cost-free education center, people of all ages and abilities and backgrounds can learn more about 3D printing and its many uses.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

Now that the Iris van Herpen exhibit is complete, Alex and her team are integrating the Ultimaker 3 into other projects around the museum. They\u2019ll continue to use it for educational purposes as well as benefiting the exhibition design and art conservation departments.<\/p><\/section>\n