Jisoo Geum – Looking Outwards – 03

 

Circular Knitic 2014, created by Varvara Guljajeva and Mar Canet.http://www.varvarag.info/circular-knitic/

Circular Knitic is an automated machine made by an artist duo, Varvara Guljajeva and Mar Canet, which renders textile designs into a physical form through knitting.

The duo first began the project in 2012 when they were interested in working with knitting machines. Although knitting machines have existed since 1976, they became obsolete over time due to the lack of accessibility. As a solution, the duo developed an idea of an open source contemporary knitting machine that can be made by digital fabrication media. They achieved the goal in 2014 by creating Circular Knitic and uploaded the open source file on GitHub so that anyone who has the access to 3D printer, laser cutter, makerbeam, and Arduino can build the machine on their own. The algorithm that was used for their early design of Circular Knitic was a board that holds control over obsolete machines and knit patterns through a computer. At a glance, the machine itself did not seem like an artwork, which is the reason why it fascinated me the most. Circular Knitic was a machine made by digital fabrication ‘machines’ that can create an infinite amount of new artworks through soft sculpture. Furthermore, the fact that anyone can have access to the machine and render their own unique vision seemed like a perfect example of new media. The images that come to my mind when I think about digital fabrication are usually hard objects such as a sculpture with intricate surface patterns and cutouts (or even products such as fidget spinners). But making a machine that produces soft fabrics that not only is an artwork on its own but also can become a resource for daily life and fashion was inspiring. The duo has shown passion in creating interactive artworks using coding and visual arts for many years, but I could see their vision the most clearly in Circular Knitic project since it is a work of art that requires the most interaction.