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Making a Difference / A Difference in Making

Special exhibition
27 September 2016 – 30 October 2016 | 13:36 – 13:36 h

The Red Dot Design Museum Essen in Germany will present the exhibition “Making a Difference / A Difference in Making” from September 27 to October 30, 2016. The collection brings together pioneering 3D-printed works of art, design, engineering and science. The exhibition is curated by Marta Malé-Alemany, architect and recognized researcher in the field of digital fabrication technologies, and produced by Materialise, a 3D printing company based in Belgium.

Since the origins of 3D printing, artists and designers have embraced the technology and explored its potentials. Their creations often push the boundaries of what is hypothetically possible, and 3D printing companies and experts take up these experimental challenges to advance their own research. This synergy enables and inspires the expansion of 3D printing to other domains: often it results in technical discoveries that are transferred to successful industrial applications.

The exhibition “Making a Difference / A Difference in Making” looks at 3D printing with both the eyes of innocent fascination and deeper observation. It aims to ponder how it can help individuals, enable social changes and positively contribute to the environment. In other words, how 3D printing is making a difference.

In Germany for the first time, this exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore pluralistic aspects and applications of this disruptive technology. Visitors will be able to see the work of renowned artists and designers such as Patrick Jouin, Iris van Herpen, Jan Wertel, Gernot Oberfell and Daniel Widrig among others. A previous edition took place in 2015 at The Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels and was highly acclaimed by both specialists and the general audience.

Book a guided tour:
All those who want to get deeper insights into the exciting world of 3D printing can book individual guided tours of the special exhibition “Making a Difference / A Difference in Making”. Further information at the museum’s reception (Phone: + 49 201 30104-60).

» Further information on the exhibition

Curator: Marta Malé-Alemany
Producer: Materialise

Admission: 9 € (Reduced: 4 €)
Children under 12: Free admission


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