Taipei - Generative-Glass

Monday 29 July – Tuesday 6 August 2013

Generative-Glass is an experimental research program designed to investigate the evolving role of glass as a physical material in design and art, and it’s potential relationship with new computational/interactive media processes. Glass is a highly expressive material mainly due to its richness in optical effects and its variable means of color differentiation. At the same time, glass, unlike most architectural materials, is also relatively less ‘accessible’ and ‘manageable’ due to various factors directly associated with glass making, construction and fabrication processes. Generative-Glass sets out to successively produce a body of work demonstrating, in collaboration with both contemporary glass manufacturers and artisans, ways in which the implementation of glass as a highly aesthetical material could be harnessed computationally and spatially at a 1:1 scale in the form of an art installation exhibition.

Taipei:

Unlike glass art in the West, ancient Chinese glass art dates back to the 3rd century BC and has only recently re-emerged onto the international scene, most notably from Taiwan’s famous Tittot’s works, which introduces the ‘Lost Wax Castings’ technique into the crafting processes of glass.  For this 1^st cycle of the research program, we will explore the theme—Aggregated-Glass. We would attempt to relook at the highly laborious and small-scale process of Taiwanese glass art making and how such traditional processes could be re-implemented using state-of-the-art rapid prototyping techniques and industrial glass processes of digital fabrication, with direct support from the largest glass company in Greater China---TaiwanGlass Group. Advanced scripting techniques would be utilized to explore ways in which the assembly and material articulation could be generated for our prototype.  

In addition to learning specific digital design/scripting tools and physical computing apparatus (e.g. Rhino/Grasshopper, Openframeworks/C++, Processing/Java, Arduino, Kinect…etc.), students would also participate in the various complementing events, including Taipei’s glass factory/art studio visits, symposium and lecture series by leading academics and professionals

Eligibility 

The workshop is open to current architecture and design students, phd candidates and young professionals. 

Applications

The deadline for applications is 14 July 2013. Application forms and additional information are available online at: www.aaschool.ac.uk/taipei and applications can be submitted to: visitingschool@aaschool.ac.uk. All participants travelling from abroad are responsible for securing any visa required for entry to Taiwan, and are advised to contact their home embassy early. After payment of fees, the AA School can provide a letter confirming participation in the workshop.

Fees

The AA Visiting School requires a fee of £695 per participant, which includes a £60 Visiting Student Membership, payable online at:
www.aaschool.ac.uk/taipei. Fees do not include flights or accommodation, but accommodation options can be advised. Students need to bring their own laptops, digital equipment and modelmaking tools. Please ensure this equipment is covered by your own insurance as the AA takes no responsibility for items lost or stolen at the workshop.