Collective Paper Aesthetics

Follow Me! is a modular system created for the opening of the Werkräume at Stiftung im Berliner Schloss.
Geometrically, the work is based on an octagonal toroid inspired by the octagonal prism at the base of the museum’s dome, transformed into a toroidal polyhedron composed of 32 quadrilateral faces (8 × 4).
At the same time, the form evokes a doughnut—a playful nod to John F. Kennedy’s legendary “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.
The model is available in two sizes and can be customized through print.
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Place-crafting | Exhibition Design as Social Infrastructure

Originally developed for the 청주공예비엔날레 2019, this project emerged as the prize-winning proposal of the Craft City Lab Competition.

The modular exhibition system draws inspiration from the geometry of traditional Korean windows — handmade paper carefully stretched across wooden frames — translating craft heritage into a contemporary spatial language.

Designed as a flexible framework for interaction and participation, the structure explores how exhibition design can function beyond display: as a platform for dialogue, learning, and collective exchange.

In 2023, the same system was reinterpreted for Projekt Most [MiCT], envisioned and curated by the Education Department at Castle Centre for Contemporary Art. Built together by children from Poland and Ukraine, the exhibition became a safe and participatory environment for conversation, sharing, and community-building.

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This week, we are revisiting some of the studio’s lesser-known modular design projects.

Featured here is Paper Batik, a project originally designed and developed for the Kota Tua Creative Festival 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The festival formed the second phase of The Future of Craftsmanship in Architecture, a project curated by with support from the Creatieve Industrie.

Paper Batik explores how traditional craft can inform contemporary design. Drawing inspiration from Indonesian batik patterns and geometric principles found in Islamic design traditions, the project transformed these influences into a foldable cardboard system that served as both a playful installation and a centerpiece for public engagement.

The workshops and production in Jakarta were realized in collaboration with (Dus Duk Duk) and (Lingkaran), demonstrating the value of cross-disciplinary partnerships in bringing ideas from concept to reality.

In 2021, the modular system evolved into a series of individual creative kits developed for Muse Knoxville’s summer experience, MusePop, and the Institute of Imagination’s Big Build project. Each kit enables participants to construct a triangular prism, extending the project’s educational and participatory potential to new audiences.

Projects like Paper Batik remind us that modular systems can be powerful tools for connecting cultural heritage, creativity, and hands-on learning across different contexts and scales.

📷 Photo by Wendy Pratama

Capped Bullet Crystals

Capped bullet crystals form when multiple columnar ice crystals grow from a single nucleus in random directions, creating what are known as bullet rosettes. These polycrystals often break apart into individual bullet-shaped crystals. When transported into colder regions of a cloud, “caps” can form at the ends of the bullets, similar to other snow crystal structures.

In the image: a miniature capped bullet crystal created by families and children visiting the Frozen Forms exhibition at the (Nov 2024 – Apr 2025).

For those attending European network of science centres and museums next week, I will be presenting this exhibition and collaboration as part of a group discussion on 4 June 2026 (09:00–10:15 CEST) at Svenska Mässan – The Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden.

A sincere thank you to and the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York and its public programs.

DesignInnovation MuseumExhibitions

While preparing the studio’s presentation for the session I’m participating in at the European network of science centres and museums Conference next week in Gothenburg, I revisited this group of photos from the Frozen Forms installation at the , installed in late 2024 and closed in April 2025.

What made this exhibition especially memorable was the collaborative way it came together. Unlike many exhibitions built solely by professional installers, this project was assembled by the entire museum community under the supervision and guidance of the exhibition department. Staff members from administration, marketing, security, and many other departments folded 480 cardboard cubes and 590 cardboard hearts from flat-cut templates, assembling them by hand using cardboard connectors.

Creating a project with this level of visual and educational impact takes an exceptionally talented, dedicated, and enthusiastic team. It was inspiring to witness how collective effort across departments became such an essential part of the exhibition itself.

A heartfelt thank you to and the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York and its public programs possible.

ArtEducation CollaborativePractice DutchCultureUSA

As we experience the first heat wave of the year, here’s a cooling look back at the Frozen Forms exhibition and its family and educational activities at the , which wrapped up in April 2025.

Featured here are the Capped Bullet, Capped Column, and Stellar Dendrite ice crystal typologies. Did you know that there are approximately 50 different ice crystal typologies found in nature?

As part of the exhibition, schoolchildren and families were invited to create their own ice crystals and add them to a growing collective installation, exploring the remarkable diversity and beauty of these natural forms through hands-on participation.

Next week, I will be speaking at the European network of science centres and museums Conference in Gothenburg about the collaborative development process behind Frozen Forms and the partnerships that helped bring this exhibition to life.

A heartfelt thank you to and the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York public programs possible.

ECSITE

How do visitors experience and reflect on art–science exhibitions?

I’m delighted to be part of this discussion at the annual Conference, taking place on 4 June 2026 (09:00–10:15 CEST) at – The Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden.

This interactive session brings together colleagues from across the art, science, museum, and research communities to explore how art–science exhibitions create meaningful experiences, inspire reflection, and deepen audience engagement.

The session will begin with short expert talks by Simone Rödder and Linshan Feng, highlighting research on the impact of art–science exhibitions and artist–scientist interactions in art–science projects. The conversation will then continue with a presentation and group discussion moderated by .

I will share insights from Frozen Forms, a hands-on STEAM exhibition developed with the exploring how snowflake formations were translated into a six-month exhibition and cross-generational audience engagement activity.

We’ll also hear inspiring case studies from:
• Amos Blanton – Playing with the Sun: developing intuitive understanding of sustainable energy through tinkering and exploring how aesthetic experiences create opportunities for deeper reflection.
• Sofie Mønster – Breathing Coral: transforming intangible scientific data into immersive sensory experiences, examining audience responses and artistic approaches that foster emotional engagement.
• Michael Bradke – Sound-Cube: reflections on collaboratively building a community instrument within a Science Center Third Space in Udaipur.

If you’re attending Ecsite 2026 and are interested in art–science collaborations, exhibition design, audience engagement, or STEAM learning, I hope you’ll join us for the discussion.

Programme: https://www.ecsite.eu/Conference-Programme

STEAM ExhibitionDesign AudienceEngagement sciencecommunication

Three years ago, around this time, Light Lilies invited families and visitors to interact hands-on with the installation for the very first time at Botanica: Contemporary Art Outside in the City Botanic Gardens.

Designed and developed in collaboration with , Light Lilies was curated by the with support from the and Brisbane office.

It was a memorable moment in bringing participatory light art into a public garden setting—encouraging people of all ages to build, connect, and engage with the artwork together through creativity, collaboration, and STEAM learning.

Where would you like to experience Light Lilies next?

📸 Bec Taylor

ArtInPublicSpace

The Creative Spark installation, co-created with and for .vam Christians 2025, was developed using the HEART Board pyramid model — redesigned with a five-point star perforation rather than the original heart shape.

Constructed over the course of one weekend, the installation brought together hundreds of families who folded flat-pack elements into two modular geometries: the truncated tetrahedron and the truncated octahedron.

The three vibrant cold foil prints — created during workshops where old toys were repurposed as drawing tools — were realised through the creative vision of Alex Bowie and Haidee Drew.

Curated by Alex Newson and Trish Roberts, with thanks to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United Kingdom for supporting this hands-on participatory project.

Photography by Peter Kelleher for the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The HEART board pyramid model, featuring a five-point star perforation in three different cold foil patterns, was developed for the Creative Spark installation, co-created with and for .vam Christians 2025.

Over two days in early December, families visiting the museum assembled five star-inspired sculptural forms that activated the building’s central Town Square during the winter holidays. The vibrant printed surfaces — created through workshops where old toys were repurposed as drawing tools — were brought to life through the creative vision of Alex Bowie and Haidee Drew.

The project was curated by Alex Newson and Trish Roberts, with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United Kingdom for this hands-on participatory initiative.

Photography by Peter Kelleher for Victoria and Albert Museum.