Rapid prototyping or 3-D printing is a disruptive technology that is becoming more and more accessible. Writers like Bruce Sterling have explored the relationship between real and virtual objects through RFID technology and 3-D printing in many books and stories. Fast Company has reported on an installation in which visitors use a virtual pottery wheel to craft a digital model, which can then be printed out later if desired.

At the “Design by Performance” exhibition at Z33 in Belgium, Unfold, a Belgian design firm founded by Claire Warnier and Dries Verbruggen, and designer Tim Knapen installed something they call “L’Artisan Electronique” (“The Electronic Artisan). Composed of a 3-D laser scanner and a RepRap–a cheap, open-source, DIY 3-D-printer–the installation allowed visitors to craft a virtual piece of pottery. All of the pieces created by users were projected onto the wall. And each morning, a selection of the previous day’s creations were printed on the RepRap.