Structures and arts which influenced by origami

Pinya Wang

Post date:: August 14, 2024 07:00; (Update: August 13, 2024 23:53)

Have you ever used paper to make anything? Such as animals, planes, or to fold a letter?

Recently, I found many letters with different lovely shapes given by my friends in my parents’ house. It’s so amazing to see these creations that paper is usually considered to be thin, soft, and fragile. With folding, the thin layer turns into the 3D shape and has a new function! The origami has been applied to many regions through the years. Such as architecture, medical surgery and space development.

↑The folded material can be expanded inside the blood vessels and protects the parts with damage while conducting the treatment.

↑The folded solar panel can be expanded into a flat shape after separated from the rocket.

Table of Contents

The exhibit at the art museum 21_21 design sight

In the exhibit “ Future Elements: Experimental Laboratory for Prototyping in Science and Design” from March 29, 2024 to September 8” held in 21_21 design sight, we can see not only the arts of origami, but many interesting objects, motions created by researchers and designers.

What’s amazing is that most of the objects are touchable which gives spectators opportunities to touch and see exactly how the motions work!

↑For example, we can assemble these imitations of bones together by ourselves and see how animals’ bones and teeth work smoothly.

Not only the human beings who apply the origami into the creations, the scientists also found it in nature. Such as the wings of insects, we can see how the wing expands and folds in a very short time.

Steam and Stretch

One of the projects in the exhibit is conducted by A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE and Nature Architects. By techniques of Steam and Stretch(the special textile may shrink when steamed ) and the algorithm to create the folding method automatically, it’s possible to make 3D clothes with a piece of cloth.

↑After steaming, the flat cloth(the right) will become the 3D shapes(the left).

Sample areas

In the exhibit, many people gather in a corner where many origami and other samples are exhibited. The spectators are allowed to take them in hand and see how those structures are built.