Miriello Grafico

World of Words sculpture

I’ve always been into globes, particularly old ones and odd ones. I’m not completely sure why. Probably because of their flawless shape, their utility and because of what they stand for. I like the idea of traveling to those unpronounceable places you saw as a kid, and still can’t pronounce as a grown-up. Unfortunately, these orbs have become popular with globe-collector types too, so cool ones have become harder to find without overpaying.

I’ve taken to making my own globe series instead. World of Words is one piece in a globe-like series I’m working up. This one was fashioned from an aerospace caliper, two volumes of the History of Negros in America, and an aircraft piston head. I’ll post more as they’re completed. -Ron    Photo by Ken West

In the September 08 edition of Wired magazine there’s a small article on a very cool little Germany company called Fluidforms. These guys have wired together Google maps + CAD cutting technologies and a web interface to allow some very amazing one-of-a-kind things to be made. I just went to their site www.fluid-forms.at and ordered a topographic CAD cut wooden bowl-form of our home village in Italy- Radicondoli (Si).

The Fluidforms site allows you to enter a place or zip code like Google Maps, but then renders the location into topo form so you can preview it’s potential as a sculptural object. A very innovative combination of technology that creates a company “brand” that’s both customer centric and entirely made-to-order.

Here’s what they say about themselves: “Each part of the earth is unique in then design of her heights and depths. Fluidforms enables customers to have a piece of this singularity on a table at home. The different contour lines of a chosen area define the shape of the bowl. An expedition into landscapes and cities only known from hiking. The earth becomes a sensory experience, that can be filled with the fruits of the earth.”

A vortex-shaped surface which reacts to sunlight.

From Dezeen Magazine-

OR is the boldest installation project at the Milan International Furniture Fair 2008, a vortex-shaped surface which reacts to sunlight.

The polygonal segments of the surface react to ultra-violet light, mapping the position and intensity of solar rays. When in the shade, the segments of OR are translucent white. However, when hit by sunlight they become colored, flooding the space below with different hues of light. At night, OR transforms into an enormous ‘chandelier’, disseminating light into the surrounding courtyard, an atmospheric space for events and gatherings.

The hues generated by the photo-reactive surface are therefore indicators of changes in weather and daylight, a dynamic architectural tool that can be used on building exteriors. OR is skin, OR is shining, OR is the light OR the shade.

OR is the first time that photo-reactive technology has been used on an architectural scale. The ecological structure is a step in exploring the possibilities of photo-reactive materials in the fields of furniture and design. The beauty of OR is its constant interaction with the elements. Each moment of the day is unique.

The project was developed by the architects and designers Ran Ankori, Francesco Brenta, Maya Carni, Christoph Klemmt, Laura Micalizzi and Elisa Oddone

Learn more at: http://www.klemmt.com/