Nitinol Works

Experiments in shape shifting material

Conflicted Boundaries

2019
40" x 11" x 30"
Nitinol wire. steam, heating pad, rocks, wood

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The Dancers

2019 - present (WIP)
50" x 36" x 6"
Nitinol wire muscles, PVC, umbrella stand, foam​​​

These projects experiment with Nitinol, a shape shifting smart material. Nitinol can be trained into a form that it returns to when subjected to special temperature conditions.

The first project here, Conflicted Boundaries, uses steam to activate the material changing the form from flaccid ineffectual lines to a barbed wire fence. On the side of the fence is a pile of rocks embedded with Nitinol. When the rocks heat up due to the heat pad below, the rocks push against each other and the pile breaks apart. This project was made in response to the treatment of immigrants at the US/Mexico boarder by then President Trump.

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The Dancers continues to build on knowledge of this new material by employing it as a muscular system for lifting limbs in a fluid and naturalistic manner thereby allowing for further experimentation into biomimicry.