Collective Paper Aesthetics

🐝 A gallery moment from a summer on the other side of the world.

In the summer of 2023, Collective Paper Aesthetics began designing and developing a custom-made modular system for Be at the Hive, a family program at the Art Gallery NSW . Six months later, it came to life during the Australian summer, welcoming children and families to explore, build, and play together.

📷 Martin Mischkulnig

Looking back on January 2024 with heartfelt gratitude to Victoria Collings, Family Program Manager at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and Luis Díaz Rivera for their unwavering support, patience, and care in creating such a welcoming experience for visitors.

Hive Festival was created in collaboration with Claudia Chidiac Makdessi Chidiac and presented as part of Sydney Festival 2024, in partnership with Blacktown Arts with the generous support of Art Gallery of NSW Members.

Some collaborations stay with you. This is one of them.

From August 19–22, I’ll be attending ASPAC Conference 2026: Museum Empowering Futures: Science Engagement in the Age of Uncertainty.

The conference and technology fair will take place at the NSM Thailand Official . I’m looking forward to exchanging ideas with longtime colleagues, meeting new collaborators, discussing future projects, and learning about the latest developments in science engagement and museum innovation.

Conferences like ASPAC are a great opportunity to strengthen existing partnerships, build new connections, and explore how museums can continue to inspire curiosity and serve their communities in a rapidly changing world.
And, of course, I’m also looking forward to experiencing the people, the culture, and the wonderful food.

If you’ll be attending, I’d be delighted to connect—see you in Thailand!

When UEFA Euro 2020 was postponed due to COVID-19, we saw an opportunity to rethink how educational design could reach audiences beyond museums.

As part of our preparation for the 2020 유기농 식품 및 음료 전시상담회 , we transformed the HEART Board Pyramid from a public installation into a home activity kit. Using 20 HEART Board kits in a standard Rotterdam apartment, we demonstrated that meaningful, hands-on learning can happen just as effectively at home.

Rather than simply reducing the scale, the project explored how museum-quality educational experiences can be adapted into accessible products that encourage creativity, problem-solving, and STEM learning through play.
Each kit featured a one-sided PMS print and was packaged in a custom-made box by Labro, turning an exhibition concept into a ready-to-use educational product.

This project reflects our interest in designing playful learning experiences that can move seamlessly between museums, schools, and homes.

Creative Team: & Antonio Saorin
Photography: Aldwin van Krimpen

In the summer of 2021, I spent three weeks working with a curated group of design and art students at the summer craft camp for the Cheongju Craft Biennale 청주공예비엔날레 청주공예비엔날레

The project was inspired by the geometry of traditional Korean windows, which are made of handmade paper attached to wooden frames. These windows often feature intricate subdivisions with lines, waves, checkerboard grids, and other geometric patterns.

The educational kit consists of three octagonal prisms in three sizes (large, medium, and small), two symmetry systems (D8 and P8), and two types of connections. These variations enable the creation of a wide range of geometric structural configurations.

The system was developed for the entrance installation of the Cheongju Craft Biennale 2021, as well as a series of pop-up tables and hands-on educational workshop materials for families.

📸 These photos, taken by Photographer Namsun Lee in November 2021, show part of the structure reconstructed a few months later at Handmade Korea in Suwon Messe.

Did you experience at Museo de la Ciencia CosmoCaixa last summer? ✨

The Macrofractals installation created for Fundación “la Caixa” will return this September—this time in Seville. Stay tuned for more details!

This hands-on installation invites families to discover the beauty of fractals—patterns that repeat across different scales and appear throughout nature, from leaves and coastlines to entire galaxies.

Made from lightweight, durable, and recyclable plastic with a honeycomb core, the Macrofractals form strong, stable 3D structures. Designed for repeated public use, they are robust, easy to clean, and well suited for interactive museum environments.

📷 Juan Alfonso Zapata at CosmoCaixa Barcelona

ExhibitionDesign InteractiveExhibits LearningTogether

Looking back at last summer—with a possible comeback this year! This close-up from the 2025 Vouw & Bouw LAB at Zuiderparktheater Den Haag highlights the many connectors that made the blue pop-up castle possible.

Built in just two days, the structure became the centerpiece of five weeks of free summer activities in the park. It was made from 3 mm polypropylene with a honeycomb core, available in custom colors.

The material combines low weight with high rigidity, making it easy to cut, fold, and shape while providing the structural stability needed for large-scale 3D pop-up installations. It’s a great example of how thoughtful material selection can enable fast assembly, reusability, and creative design.

This project was realized through a collaboration between Zuiderparktheater, Museon-Omniversum and Festival De Betovering .

📸 Photo by Aldwin van Krimpen

Happy 4th of July 🇺🇸

As the United States celebrates Independence Day, we extend our warm wishes to our clients, colleagues, friends, and partners across the country. May this occasion continue to honor freedom, liberty, and the enduring spirit of America.

This photograph was taken by Jason Isolini Isolini at the Design Pavilion during NYCxDESIGN 2017. The pavilion was curated and produced by Ilene Shaw , with support from DutchCultureUSA and the Creative Industries Fund NL ( Creatieve Industrie), and with the invaluable assistance of Luis Díaz Rivera .

One of the most rewarding parts of being a creator and studio owner is seeing the sense of pride and accomplishment on the faces of the team after completing an installation.

For more than 15 years, I’ve been designing and delivering bespoke educational kits around the world, and moments like the one captured here never lose their meaning.

This photo was taken during the opening weekend of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 Hub at the in Frankfurt in January 2026. Together, we co-created a space where families, professionals, and everyone in between could pick up one, two, or more kits and build places they truly love.

What makes projects like this so special is that every installation is the result of a different collaboration. Seeing each team take ownership of the work and celebrate the final result is one of the greatest rewards of what I do. 🤍

A huge thank you to bayern design , the Botschaft der Nederlanden in Duitsland, and Farbe des Weines for their support—and to the incredible World Design Capital 2026 team for bringing this space to life with so much enthusiasm, dedication, and care.

🔗 Learn more: https://wdc2026.org/en

📸 Photography: Boaz Arad Photography

I’m not sure how hot it is in Waco, TX, right now, but it’s been—and still is—very warm over here! Meanwhile, Doreen Ravenscroft and her dedicated team at Waco Cultural Arts Fest continue bringing the HEART-board to different locations across the city, engaging the community through public art.

Follow their social media channels to see where the HEART-board will appear next.

This photo was taken earlier this year during the opening of the Bledsoe-Miller STEAM Center in Waco.

The HEART-board project was initiated by Doreen Ravenscroft (Cultural Arts of Waco), in collaboration with Robin McDurham and Lindsey Helton (Transformation Waco), with support from the Texas Commission on the Arts .

📷 Photography: ticomendoza

Completing (I think!) our revisit of the studio’s lesser-known modular designs with Inside the Hive—a series of hands-on making activities inspired by the extraordinary architecture of native bee hives and the intricate forms of pollen seen under a microscope.

The project was designed and developed for the Art Gallery NSW in 2024. The smaller paper activities were used during the school holidays, while the larger cardboard installation—featuring Braille and scratch-and-sniff ink for a multi-sensory experience (can you guess the scent?)—popped up in the gallery for one weekend during the Hive Festival, part of Sydney Festival. It then travelled to The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre the following weekend, bringing the festival vibes beyond Sydney’s CBD.

Whether you’re somewhere experiencing extreme heat or simply looking to escape the weather, you’re welcome to visit the official project page and download the free activity kit. https://lnkd.in/gstYV2sH

Family Program Manager: Victoria Collings
Photography: Thomas Jackson (MuseumNext 2024)