The installation, entitled ‘Apeiron Flow’ showcases the endless expressive potential of paper. Using principles inspired by Nature to increase its structural stiffness, paper is crafted into an algorithmically grown, expansive and fluid sculptural form. AHA developed a set of algorithmic rules to iteratively grow a surface and infold it. The anti-clastic stiffness created by this ruffling process allows the form to support its own weight while filling a volume of over 100 cubic meters.
The sculpture is composed of laser cut sheets of 540gsm paper folded and locked into the 3d form using a novel alternating tab and slot system. The system aligns the folded components precisely, allowing the overall structure to be built up without the need for a wireframe or substructure. AHA went through an extensive process of testing different systems and weights of paper before deciding on one which could take advantage of the pliancy and precision of the G.F Smith paper.
Colours from G.F Smith’s Colorplan range are used to delineate the curvature of the surface, which weaves through the space, transforming it and inviting exploration and movement. Every colour in the range is positioned precisely according to its hue and lightness value. The result is a series of continuous stripes of colour following the flow of the surface in a loop back to where it started. Situated next to Hull’s Oceanarium, ‘The Deep’, the shape and colour combinations of the sculpture conjure up associations with aquatic life and movement.
Project Gallery
