A Museum Exhibition that Presents 3D Printing of Today and the Future
People often talk about how 3D printing will change our world in the future. But 3D printing already makes a difference right here, right now. What impact does it have on our individual lives, our society, and our environment? The “Making A Difference / A Difference in Making” exhibition at BOZAR in Brussels answers this question and gives visitors a fantastic overview of the possibilities of 3D printing. Let’s take a closer look at this extraordinary museum exhibition.
Looking at James Novak’s FIX3D Bike. © Wim Gombeer
An Entire Exhibition about 3D Printing
The exhibition features 3D printed works of art, design, engineering, and science by renowned artists, designers, public initiatives, and prestigious research institutions from all over the world. Visitors are invited to discover a production technology that offers a medium of making things differently. Visitors can see and learn how 3D printing can help individuals, enable social change, and positively contribute to the environment. In other words, how 3D printing is making a difference today and how it will continue to do so in the future.
Fried Vancraen, CEO of Materialise, puts it like this: “3D printing is influencing our livelihood and culture. This influence has already had more of an impact than most people realize, although it will become even more pronounced in the future. Through this exhibition, we want to show a realistic image of this future, along with its threats and opportunities.”
One room explores the difference that 3D printing can make in the lives of individuals. Depicted above, you can see the Hibbot and WREX Exoskeleton. © Wim Gombeer
Visitors look at the CaCO3 Stoneware pieces by Laura Lynn Jansen and Thomas Vailly. © Wim Gombeer
Learn What 3D Printing Can Already Been Used For
Marta Malé-Alemany, the curator of the exhibition, points out that the evolution of 3D printing can already be seen: “There are over 80 projects in the exhibition, some of them dating back to the early 2000’s while others have been especially produced for this exhibition. So, already in this collection of objects, there are over ten years of history in terms of the applications of 3D printing in science, the arts, and other fields. In the exhibition, itself, you can see a certain history of the technology.”
Throughout the years, 3D printing has created many useful applications for individuals. Examples of these innovations, such as 3D prints for hearing aids as well as the dental and orthopedic industry, can be examined throughout the exhibition. These recent improvements are not only game-changers for consumers but also create new opportunities for manufacturers.
Looking at the Big Growth Table by Mathias Bengtsson. © Wim Gombeer
Anouk Wipprecht and her Spider Dress were present for the grand opening of the exhibition. © Wim Gombeer
3D Printing: A Radical Evolution
The radical evolution of 3D printing would not have been possible without the talent and effort of innumerous designers and makers, as highlighted by the exhibition’s curator:
“We present how 3D printing is a manufacturing technology that allows us to make things differently, and how artists and designers have greatly contributed to the development of the technology. They do this by embracing it and proposing creative approaches that are, in many cases, pushing the boundaries of what is hypothetically possible.
Besides this, the exhibition shows projects that use 3D printing to solve concrete problems, showing how the technology can bring added value. There are many examples of highly advanced and innovative developments in medicine, aerospace, architecture, education, and more, which you could not have found five years ago. So, you will see things that are totally contemporary.”
Printing perfectly fitted insoles by RS Print. © Wim Gombeer
One room of the exhibit reveals how 3D printing changes manufacturing processes. © Wim Gombeer
Video footage from the opening night of the exhibition.
If couldn’t make it to Brussels, you can read our blog posts about the Big Growth Table, the Spider Dress, or the FIX3D Bike. If you have a great idea that you would like to turn into 3D printed reality, check out the main website of our online 3D printing service.
