el.ba 2.0 is a sculptural research installation that investigates the materialization of the topological concept of Borromean rings through computational geometry and physically based form-finding. The project explores how flexible beams and elastic fabric can be coupled into a hybrid system to achieve a controlled balance of elastic forces, allowing the three Borromean rings to remain spatially separated while producing the perception of floating in space. This condition is enabled by a tensile fabric system that maintains the topological connection between the rings while avoiding direct contact between them, introducing a controlled elastic deformation that results in a slightly ellipsoidal geometry. The project was developed through an intensive collaboration between GCM Artist-in-Residence Alison Martin and the Geometric Computing Laboratory at EPFL, directed by Prof. Mark Pauly.

Contributors

• Alison Martin
  • Weaving Artist, GCM Artist-in-Residence 2023
• Dr. Seiichi Suzuki, Filip Goc, Prof. Dr. Mark Pauly, Liliane-Joy Dandy
  • EPFL Geometric Computing Laboratory (GCM)