Computational Origami (2008)
This series of three pieces, titled “Computational Origami”,
is part of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
permanent collection.
It is currently on display in The Philip Johnson Architecture and
Design Galleries, third floor, as part of the
Rough Cut: Design Takes a Sharp Edge
exhibit (ongoing since November 26, 2008).
It was originally part of the
Design and the Elastic Mind
exhibit from February 24 to May 12, 2008.
About the Pieces
Each piece in this series connects together multiple circular pieces of paper
(between two and three full circles) to make a large circular ramp of total
turning angle much larger than 360° (between 720° and 1080°).
Each sculpture is also turned a different amount before joining the sliced
circles into one big (topological) circle.
The title “Computational Origami” refers to our underlying
algorithmic goal of determining the mathematical curved surface that results
from different kinds of pleated folding. This kind of “self-folding
origami” may have applications to deployable structures that can
compress very small by folding tightly and later relax into its natural curved
form. To control this process, we must understand what forms result from
different pleatings, and how to design pleatings that make desired forms.
Material: Elephant hide paper.
Dimensions: 9" × 13" × 7" tall •
8.5" × 13" × 7" tall •
8" × 7" × 8.5" tall.
For More Information
Check out our other curved origami sculpture,
as well as our history of curved origami sculpture.
Last updated January 7, 2010 by
Erik Demaine.
