Nervous System: Growing Objects — From Lamps to Lungs

Abstract

Join Nervous System for an exploration of their collaborations with scientists in the realm of 3D-printed organs. They will show how science inspires their art and design work, which then feeds back into their scientific practice. The cycle continues as their work on organs contributes to their recent large-scale public artworks and vice versa.

Inspired by natural patterns, Nervous System creates computational systems that can create a myriad of unique designs. They translate these digital designs into physical products using a mix of digital and traditional manufacturing methods, including 3D printing, casting, and laser cutting. At the heart of these systems are mathematical models of pattern formation. In this talk, they’ll share case studies from their practice that trace ideas as they move between biological research, computational design, and physical objects.

This lecture is part of the Design Tech Public Lecture Series.

Biography

Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg

Nervous System is the collaborative artistic practice of Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg. Their work investigates how natural forms and processes can be reimagined through computation and material exploration. Using generative algorithms and digital fabrication, they translate these ideas into sculpture, jewelry, lighting, puzzles, and immersive installations that blur the line between art, science, and mathematics.

Founded in 2007, while Jessica was studying at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Jesse was studying mathematics at MIT, Nervous System has developed a distinctive artistic language that dissolves boundaries between art, science, and technology. Their work has appeared on the cover of Science and has been featured in The New York Times. It is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Centre Pompidou, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.