MINIMAL COMPLEXITY
A modular approach to Art
MINIMAL COMPLEXITY
NCL Joy Cruise Ship 2017
Vlad Tenu was invited to create a new art piece for Norwegian Joy, the latest ship by Norwegian Cruise Lines. Commissioned by Soho Myriad, the sculpture was designed around a concept that took inspiration from nature, from the organic shapes of corals and sea creatures.
Due to the very tight site constraints and the requirements for speed and efficiency of transport and installation, the proposal consisted of a modular sculpture. It is based on the assembly system developed by Vlad Tenu in 2010 for Minimal Complexity, the award winning piece first built by TEX-FAB in Houston, Texas in 2011.
Nature inspired
Driven by the challenge of creating an art piece for a cruise ship that travels the world by sea, the structure’s intricate shape is inspired from nature, from the shape of sea corals and underwater creatures. The design process is based on algorithms that simulate processes of self-organisation of cells and behaviour of soap films and follows a series of mathematical principles.
Based on symmetry, the sculpture is made of only two equivalent sets of 24 identical modules, each made of 16 flat aluminium pieces. This allowed for an increased efficiency in delivering the piece and installing it on the deck of Norwegian Joy, despite the site constraints and logistical challenges.
Special thanks to Soho Myriad and Richard Scott.