Exhibition Concept

How are digital tools being utilized and taught by contemporary artists, designers, and architects? And how do these tools facilitate and influence the work being produced? Ten faculty and staff from diverse disciplines at Appalachian State University have come together to exhibit new work utilizing these tools in unique ways.

App DigiFab is a community of faculty and staff at Appalachian State University exploring the professional and educational use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and digital fabrication hardware used for three-dimensional design, visualization, and fabrication. The group includes educators from multiple disciplines in the Departments of Art and Applied Design. The tools they use are similar—including 3D modeling software, 3D printers, and CNC machines—yet the application of those tools varies greatly between fields. The goal of this exhibition is to highlight that diversity in both subject matter and formal output. The selected works in this show range from 2D images and digital video, to 3D prints and sculptural objects.

This exhibition is about the processes and technology as much as it is about the final creations. To show more about the process, there is a parallel online exhibition that includes detailed background on each of the pieces. On the tablets around the gallery, or by following the QR codes for each work, there is much to discover about the inspiration, design process, studio techniques, and material exploration of each maker-illuminating the methods behind the art and design work in the gallery.