ICA Quickfire: The Impact of 3D Printing on Art, Design and Industry

As 3D printers shift from being inaccessible gadgets of the future towards affordable tools with which every household will soon be equipped, this talk considers the areas in which 3D printing is already prevalent and creating major changes; from product design, to medical advances, to artistic practice.

As many are still uninitiated, the discussion will provide the audience an opportunity to learn more, from the basics of what 3D printing really entails, to what are the real benefits and possible threats. The discussion will reveal not only the ways in which 3D printing is already prevalent in our lives, but also its potential to radically change our world.

Led by Stephen Hoskins, Hewlett Packard Professor of Fine Print and Director of the Centre of Fine Print Research at the University of the West of England, the conversation includes Lisa Harouni, co-founder of Digital Forming, artist Matthew Darbyshire, and Paul Smyth from Something and Son.

Bob Hobbs, Matt Darbyshire’s studio assistant, will be giving a practical demonstration during the talk.