For my project ‘Objects and Rituals‘ I shaped and formed various objects made out of different materials, with different techniques over a period of months. I was curious to see if the objects could evoke a moment of us wanting to utilize them and at the same time recognizing their corporeality prohibiting us from doing so. While their appearance suggests a function, they are stripped of their actual functionality. This relationship between the object and our body recognizing eachother‘s limits is a queer moment I am interested in in a contemporary design practice.
Even in our seemingly logic-driven society, rituals remain to be intrinsic components of culture. Whether they are of religious or secular nature, they continue to (re)connect us with each other and our surroundings. They are defined by order, repetition and mindfulness, no matter their cultural background. In rituals, objects can be transformed and assigned to new meanings. This group of objects illustrates and interprets the role rituals play in our lives while using feelings and senses as a way of designing. The different elements investigate the differences between precision and carefulness through their surface, shape and material.
In this group of objects, repetitive CAD-driven processes contrast manual cyclical labor. The techniques that where applied include, among others, 3D-Printing as well as metal casting or lathing. A wide range of materials was used, like gypsum filament, acrylic resin, steel, porcelain, natural wool and alabaster.
Supervision: Prof. Justus Theinert
Photography: Nikolaus Kockel
Edit: Arootin Mirzakhani