i.M.A.D.E students took part in digitally designing, fabricating, and installing a gallery exhibition for the 2006 ACADIA Conference. Working with other students from the University of Kentucky, the design and fabrication process of this installation served as a ‘proof-of-concept’ model for a “digital exchange.”

In the true spirit of collaboration, the design was completely centered around the exchange of digital information—sharing files and ideas via FTP sites, blogs, emails, and mobile phones—in order to coordinate a set of diverse skills and expertise between Ball State University and University of Kentucky professors and students and the New Center Gallery in Louisville, KY. Every piece of the display system was specially designed and fabricated specifically using digital technology: Rhino software was used for the schematic and design development and computer-controlled equipment—CNC mills, 3D printers, and laser cutters created the components directly from the translated digital model. Every component was directly fabricated in-house. By engaging some of our most talented students with research and development collaboration, we were able to generate the design and fabrication models very quickly and efficiently, while giving these students some valuable real-world immersion experiences. The team designed and fabricated with state-of-the-art equipment for a real gallery venue with a real short deadline (one week from conception through fabrication). Given the short time constraint, the students divided into two teams for fabrication—one team stayed on-campus and used Institute equipment, while the other team met with an industry partner in Indianapolis (ACS Sign Systems) and performed the rest of the fabricating at an off-campus facility. The real test came when Ball State students drove down to meet face-to-face the University of Kentucky students in Louisville with trucks loaded with component systems of this 100% digitally-fabricated system. The collaborative worked over one day to install inside and outside of the shipping containers of the gallery spaces in the “Yard” of the New-Center Gallery.

Students: Anindita CHaudhary, Basia Gasior, Andrew Glass, Dustin Headley, Ben Herring, Jason Klinker, Katie Marinaro, Brandon Nuckelt, Jamie Owens, Nutthawut Piriyaprakob, Chandra Shrestha, Siddhant Sinha

Industry Partners: ACADIA, ACS Sign Systems, New Gallery, University of Kentucky

Faculty: Kevin Klinger, Gregory Luhan (U of K), Joshua Vermillion