Artworks Created Using Objet 3-D Printing System Acquired by the Museum of Modern Art
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Artist Used Objet's Breakthrough Connex500(TM) System
Rehovot, Israel (August 19, 2008) - Objet Geometries Ltd. (www.objet.com), the innovation leader in 3-D printing, today announced that four abstract artworks utilizing Objet technology have been acquired for the collection of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.
Created by leading artist Neri Oxman, the pieces were originally selected for a special MoMA exhibition entitled "Design and the Elastic Mind," which took place February 24 - May 12, 2008. Ms. Oxman - who is currently a Presidential Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) pursuing a Ph.D. in design and computation, and is based at the MIT Media Laboratory - printed the works on Objet's revolutionary Connex500(TM), the first-ever system to allow the printing of several materials with different mechanical and physical properties simultaneously. This capacity was necessary to develop the pieces, which were mathematically designed to exhibit multiple structural and environmental qualities (i.e., stiffness, transparency, temperature/ humidity control, etc.) rather than adhering to a specific form.
"In pursuing this project, I looked everywhere for the means to produce the actual pieces," said Ms. Oxman. "My works' unique specifications proved a perfect match for the exceptional capabilities of the Connex500(TM) system, enabling me to realize my vision."
According to Ms. Oxman, the works - entitled Catesian Wax, Monocoque, Raycounting and Subterrain - are prototypes for "structural skin," a construction technique that supports structural load using external skin instead of a traditional internal framework covered with non-load bearing casing. Devised using algorithms and other computational tools, they're designed to show the outcome of speculations about the intrinsic qualities of natural structures and inspire future directions for applied research, she said.
The pieces were originally part of a larger collection entitled "the Materialecology project 2007" by Ms. Oxman, who is also trained in architecture. Furthering the concept that guided her past collection, Ms. Oxman is now working on a larger-scale piece using the Objet Connex500(TM) to print between eight and 21 different materials of various physical properties that fit together in the form of a chair. The work is scheduled to appear in the Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville in October 2008.
"Our entire team is thrilled to be part of Ms. Oxman's tremendous accomplishment," said Adina Shorr, CEO of Objet Geometries. "It is our hope that more innovative minds like hers explore the enormous variety of ways to utilize the groundbreaking Connex500(TM) technology."
Objet's Connex500(TM) represents a breakthrough in three-dimensional printing by, for the first time, offering designers and product developers the ability to print parts and assemblies made of several materials with different mechanical and physical properties in a single build process. The system's patented PolyJet Matrix(TM) Technology jets materials in ultra-thin layers, immediately curing each layer with UV light, a process which yields models that closely emulate the look, feel and function of an exceptionally wide variety of end products. In addition, the system allows users to create composite materials that have pre-set combinations of mechanical properties, also a first for the industry. The Connex500(TM) was unveiled in November 2007 winning the German EuroMold Exhibition prize for Innovation, and during 2008 was honored with the prestigious red dot design award and RadTech USA Emerging Technologies Award.
About Objet Geometries
Objet Geometries (www.objet.com), the photopolymer jetting pioneer, develops, manufactures and globally markets ultra-thin-layer, high-resolution 3-dimensional printing solutions for rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing. It offers a wide range of solutions, including the market-proven Eden line of systems, based on Objet's patented PolyJet(TM) technology and the Connex500(TM), based on PolyJet Matrix(TM) technology. Objet systems are in use by world leaders in many industries, such as automotive, electronics, toy, consumer goods, and footwear industries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Japan. Founded in 1998, Objet serves its growing worldwide customer base through offices in USA, Europe, China and Hong Kong, and a global network of distribution partners. Objet owns more than 50 patents and patent pending inventions.
Sharon Horowitz
gabbegroup
public relations / marketing
212.220.4444, sharon.horowitz@gabbe.com
