‘Future Archaeologies 2049’: 3D printed brick wall evokes past and present

There is no question that 3D printing is enabling creators and visionaries to explore new methods of designing and making everything from wearables to buildings. American artist Virginia San Fratello has been at the forefront of this design revolution, specializing in the intersection of architecture and ceramics. Her most recent project, brought to life using WASP 3D printing technology, was recently unveiled at Argillà 2024, an international art and craft ceramics expo held in Faenza, Italy. The large-scale installation, named “Future Archaeologies 2049”, consists of nearly a thousand ceramic bricks, each 3D printed using a clay material sourced locally from Faenza.

The name of the project, as San Fratello, explains, is a nod to the eventual maturation of ceramic 3D printing and its ever growing potential. She says: “It takes an average of 39 years for an embryonic technology to mature. Ceramic 3D printing was ‘invented’ in 2010, so by 2049, building with 3D printed ceramics should be the new normal.”

The goal behind the 3D printed wall was to showcase the technology’s ability to not only build from natural, locally derived materials, but also to create beautiful designs that both harken back to the past and look to the future. In this case, the bricks were made from a clay sourced from the Lamone River in Faenza, which was dyed using a combination of hues inspired by the Italian city’s existing architectural palette.

The project, which started in 2022, was realized with the help of WASP’s 40100 LDM 3D printer and Continuous Feeding System. The printing system is a mid-sized solution capable of printing a variety of fluid-dense materials, including clays, stoneware, porcelain and earthenware. With the Continuous Feeding System, creators can print without having to interrupt the build to refill the material tank, for a smoother, more productive workflow. San Fratello used the system installed at the Faenza Art Ceramic Center to bring this project to life.

Future Archaeologies 2049 was unveiled at the end of August at Argillà 2024, where visitors were invited to walk through the maze-like ceramic walls. We’ve followed Virginia San Fratello’s work for years, including projects from her 3D printing MAKE-tank, Emerging Objects. In 2019, for example San Fratello and fellow artist Ronald Rael showcased a series of 3D printed huts made from a mud-based clay and inspired by traditional architectures from the Rio Grande river region. San Fratello was also a collaborator in the development of Desktop Metal’s wood-based Forust 3D printing material.