The Form That Remained

Remnants of scientific and technological research become art in this series created by industrial designer Ruben Moutinho.

In The Form That Remained series, award-winning industrial Ruben Moutinho examines the link between science and art through the creation of sculptural objects that give new meaning to the remnants of different scientific and technological research projects. By using discarded parts that have served their purpose in the quest for knowledge, the Portuguese designer gives them a new function, one that is separate from the original research yet deeply connected to it.

Ruben Moutinho’s work explores human-centered design, materialiality, scientific research, and artistic experimentation. This series brings all of these ideas together. The Form That remained comprises six individual objects made from discarded fragments and 3D-printed prototypes generated by six research projects. Rather than becoming waste, the elements transform into something else: artistic objects where colors, textures, organic forms and technical structures coexist.

The collection showcases the material process of strata, which refers to the layering different materials or components. The designer created each sculpture by cutting, mixing and fusing parts from a specific project, resulting in one-of-a-kind artworks. Named after the projects they came from, the objects re-conceptualize their original meaning. From necessary components that aid in scientific or technological projects, the parts become works of art that explore new ideas of materiality, meaning, value, and possibility.

Much more than an examination of material waste and reuse, The Form That Remained challenges the idea that discarded objects lose their purpose. SHESOIL, AUTONOVA, BRIVA, LIVIA, ACTIVA, and UNIKA become a material archive of their respective research projects while transforming technical components and prototypes into art. Images courtesy of Ruben Moutinho.