Shapeways Partners with Museum of Arts and Design to Provide Interactive 3D Printing Experiences in Conjunction with Out of Hand: Materializing the Postdigital

NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Out of Hand: Materializing the Postdigital at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) is the first in-depth museum survey dedicated to exploring the impact of computer-assisted methods of production on contemporary art, architecture, and design. Shapeways, the 3D printing marketplace and community, is partnering with MAD for the exhibition and will host 'OUT OF HAND/HANDS ON,' an educational and interactive space on the Museum's second floor where visitors will be able to experience 3D design and printing firsthand.

Opening  in conjunction with the exhibition on October 16th and running through April 2014, the 'OUT OF HAND/HANDS ON' space will include a series of interactive 3D apps for visitors to create their own 3D models, on site 3D scanning, and 3D printing in a range of materials. Shapeways' 'Designers in Residence' working in the gallery will also be available to demonstrate 3D modeling techniques and tools used to create objects like those in the exhibition.

Interactive 3D apps will deepen audiences' understanding of the 3D design process and make it easy for those with limited 3D design skills to create or modify a 3D model. MAD visitors can choose from a selection of existing 3D models, including sculptural forms, fine jewelry, among other designs, to print in materials ranging from plastics and ceramics to jewelry grade metals such as sterling silver.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to be 3D scanned and 3D printed into mini figurines by an in-house high resolution 3D printer in any of the 30 materials currently available on Shapeways.com. The figurines will be available for purchase on Shapeways' website.

Shapeways 'Designers in Residence' creating designs for 3D printing in the 'OUT OF HAND/HANDS ON' interactive space will be available to discuss their use of digital fabrication with exhibition visitors. Designers in Residence reflect the range of creators represented in the exhibition and include artists, architects, industrial designers and programmers who use 3D printing in their practice.

Shapeways will also be collaborating with the Museum of Arts and Design on a series of lectures and master classes, ranging from basic overviews of 3D printing to targeted classes for artists, designers, and architects to gain a deeper understanding of how they can engage with 3D printing. For more information on classes and timing visit MAD's website. Additional classes will be added on a regular basis.

About Shapeways

Shapeways is the world's leading 3D Printing marketplace and community. The NY startup harnesses 3D Printing to help anyone turn ideas into reality, making product design more accessible, personal, and inspiring. Shapeways prints everything on-demand, which means that every order is customized and personalized. Headquartered in New York with offices in Eindhoven and Seattle, Shapeways is a spin-out of the lifestyle incubator of Royal Philips Electronics. Investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, Lux Capital, and Union Square Ventures. For more information, go to: http://www.shapeways.com/.

About the Museum of Arts and Design

The Museum of Arts and Design explores the value of making across all fields of contemporary creative practice. The Museum focuses on the ways in which artists and designers transform the world around us, through processes ranging from the artisanal to the digital. MAD's exhibition program is dedicated to creativity and craftsmanship, and demonstrates the limitless potential of materials and techniques when used by gifted and innovative artists. The Museum's permanent collection is global in scope and includes art, craft, and design from 1950 to the present day. At the center of the Museum's mission is education. The Museum houses classrooms and studios for master classes, seminars, and workshops for students, families, and adults.

Media contacts:

Elisa Richardson, Shapeways
[email protected]
917-740-1428

Claire Laporte, Museum of Arts and Design
[email protected]
212-299-7749

Chelsea Beroza, Resnicow Schroeder Associates
[email protected]
212-671-5160

SOURCE Shapeways