Sgraffito in 3D: Late medieval earthenware as viewed by Joachim Rotteveel
The exhibition ‘Sgraffito in 3D’ at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen registers the process of 3D-reconstruction of medieval sgraffito-ceramics (period 1450-1550) of the former private collection Van Beuningen-de Vriese. Seven important archaeological pieces of the collection were made digitally accessible with innovative visualization techniques used in the medical world and the industry. The exhibition has been made possible by the Erasmus Medical Centre (Radiology department), TNO Science and Industry (Rapid Manufacturing Demo Centre), the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (AR+RFID Lab), the Erasmus Foundation and SenterNovem. Documentation is to be found on the project website and the press release on the museum website.
Sgraffit-o-matic
A 3D-milling machine is programmed to draw a design in a wet clay tablet using the sgraffito technique. Sgraffito (also known as slip carving) is a traditional decoration technique -used to decorate ceramics- in which a top layer (engobe) has designs scratched into it, revealing the layer of red clay beneath. This technique was used in Holland in the late middle ages (1450 to 1550). In drawing, the machine reveals a logic of its own, which is alien to the way a human would.
‘Oorsprong’
‘Oorsprong’ is an interactive installation commenting on the relationship between the model and the serial object. A mass-produced object becomes an artwork in the process of personalization. In the context of the Sgraffit-o-rama project for Museum Boijmans van Beuningen I have had a residency at European Ceramic Work Center (.ekwc) in Den Bosch, The Netherlands. Although I did some sculpting at the art academy I had never worked with clay before. The .ekwc gave me the opportunity to learn all about ceramics, moulding and casting techniques. The slides below show the making process.
Sliced Vision
This 15th century cooking pot from the private collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen was ct-scanned at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). The video leads the viewer through the material of the object.
Céramique Électronique
‘Céramique Électronique is the working title of a proposal for Robotic Ceramics. The concept concerns the transformation of archeological objects into robots as a way to show the ceramic collection in a cultural historical perspective. A fully automated reconstruction-technique is suggested by applying electronmechanical technology to an archeological object. Parasite Archéologique: A hydrolical spider transforms shreds into a vase. This proces is initiated when a visitor is in the vicinity of the object. The ceramic robot reacts as a living creature. As if it were an insect quickly trying to hide.