While pushing boundaries is a common fixture of the art world, 3D printing offers artists a medium to go further. One piece that, in our option, exemplifies this is Peter Lang’s ‘Silent Orchestra.’

Inspired by wasp nests, Lang worked with acoustics experts from the Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences to craft a sculpture with sound-absorbing qualities. The process involved a whopping 10 months of preparation, beginning with hand-drawing what would become 43 sculpture layers.

The drawings were photographed and edited online into a 3D digital data model that became the basis of the physical print.

The print itself was made through Robotic Fusion Deposition Modeling, in which a robotic arm, controlled by a complex algorithm and equipped with an extrusion nozzle, crafted the model layer by layer. During extrusion, Lang manually mixed in pigment granules to give the sculpture its colouration.

The work’s sound-absorbing qualities are the result of two things. Firstly, its bionic geometry (that being the dozens of curling tubes). And secondly, its makeup. Lang used a biocompatible plastic that he infused with beer to work as an adhesive, resulting in a rough, fibrous texture.

Want to see how 3D printing can elevate your art? Submit your design or contact us today.