Giant 3D Printed Sculptures to Feature in Inaugural York Mediale Festival

Matthew Plummer Fernandez

Toward the end of this year, a huge festival will be taking place in York, UK, drawing some of the most creative artists in the country to showcase their works as part of a massive installation. Among those artists will be Matthew Plummer Fernandez, whose work involves the development of new software that expands the potential of 3D printing as a medium. Plummer Fernandez will be creating huge 3D printed sculptures that will be installed across the city. The festival, which has been named York Mediale, runs from September 27th to October 6th, though the exhibition will be in place until January 6th.

Plummer Fernandez is working with startup Fluxaxis, a 3D printing service bureau formed in 2017. Fluxaxis is a bit different than other service bureaus as it’s aimed specifically at creative types – designers, architects, etc. Plummer Fernandez is creating his installations as part of a six-month residency – the first time the startup has collaborated with an artist on this level. According to York Mediale’s website, the project “will explore the future of manufacturing, digital fabrication and the creative potential of 3D printing.” Plummer Fernandez will be able to take advantage of Fluxaxis’ many resources, which include 3D printers, 3D scanners, and 5-axis CNC machines.

Plummer Fernandez’s work is an abstract collection that demonstrates how far computer modeling and digital fabrication can be taken. It’s striking even on a screen; in large format, scattered across a city, it’s bound to be breathtaking. The work will demonstrate the capabilities of large format 3D printers, which are becoming more numerous but whose products aren’t always seen outside the manufacturing world. A likely reaction to Plummer Fernandez’s installation will be an astonished “3D printing did that?”

Along with Plummer Fernandez’s installation, York Mediale will feature a multi-artist, multimedia exhibition called Strata, Rock, Dust, Stars. The theme is geology and how it has shaped our relationship with the world and understanding of the universe, conveyed through a collection of new media, moving images and interactive artwork.

According to Tom Higham, Creative Director of York Mediale, the festival will be the first of its kind in the UK.

“We will be exhibiting exciting work from visionary artists, and introducing young people – from primary school to university students – to a whole range of exciting opportunities,” he said. “We are working with the community and creative partners from the ground up, to create work that is challenging, inspiring and a lot of fun – we want people to experience something completely new, unexpected and different. We are developing a unique set of projects, commissions and installations made in, for and in response to the most beautiful historic city in the country. The work will premiere here in York, and several projects will then go on to tour the world.”

There’s something especially attractive about a digitally created, futuristic art exhibition in a historic city – the new against a backdrop of the old. Both Plummer Fernandez’s 3D printed sculptures and Strata, Rock, Dust, Stars will demonstrate the creative potential of technology and serve as a reminder that art is much more than just paint and clay.

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