YouFab Global Creative Awards

Works by Past Winners

Decomposition of Materiality by Scarlett Yang, Grand Prix, 2020

‘Decomposition of Materiality’ speculates a simulated ecosystem where biomaterials grow, decompose and shift form as they are exposed to the elements.

Penta KLabs by Collective Hysteria, Grand Prix, 2019

A public event that bridges multiple stakeholder. Initiated in 2016, this event was an art project biennale that was located in specific site areas. This annual event was held to better understanding how to deal with city issues as well as the lack of art ecosystem in Semarang. Penta Klabs is not only a contemporary art exhibition but also a stakeholder that involves city-making using individual local’s abilities (architecture, urban planner, etc).

Fish Hammer by Neil Mendoza, Grand Prix, 2018

The goldfish swims around the aquarium, unaware of the sensor above which is communicating its movement to the hammer outside. The fish moves and the hammer crashes down on the miniature furniture outside. This work raises questions related to the influence of humans on the ecosystem.

Regenerative Reliquary by Amy Karle, Grand Prix, 2017

Regenerative Reliquary is a work created from human stem cells and 3D printers to reproduce the bones of the human hand. By drawing out the possibility of life from inanimate objects, this work raises questions about the mystery of life.

OTON GLASS by OTON GLASS Inc., Grand Prix, 2016

OTON GLASS is a pair of smart glasses that support the reading ability of people who have difficulty reading written words by converting visual character information into sound. The glasses capture characters located in the same position as the user’s viewpoint with a camera and convert them into textual data using text recognition technology. The glasses read out the words as sound, thus enabling the user to understand the character information.

Kinematics Dress by nervous system, Grand Prix, 2015

This is a dress created using a a 3D printer. Composed of thousands of parts that are printed as a single folded piece, the dress does away with the need for human assembly. In its combination of design, simulation, and digital fabrication, the dress represents a new approach to fabrication—the creation of complex, customized products.

Why Not Hand Over a “Shelter” to Hermit Crabs by Aki Inomata, Grand Prix, 2014

The production of this series of works started with No Man's Land (2009), an exhibition marking the demolition of the French Embassy in Japan. The former French Embassy was used as the exhibition space. This land had been “France” until October, 2009. For the 50 years after 2009 it will become Japan, and subsequently, it will become “France” again. Shocked by this story, the artist made an imaginative leap to the image of hermit crabs and their habit of moving into new “shelters.” Inomata felt something in common between this peaceful entry and change-over of countries on the same land and hermit crabs, which look completely different due to the “shelter” carried on their backs, even though their “content” remains the same.

Special prize: Yamaha Award, The Switch to your Emotions

The Yamaha Award was established as a special prize during the YouFab Global Creative Award of 2016.

In recognition of Yamaha Corporation's corporate slogan of "Creating Emotions, Together,” the Yamaha Award is awarded for works that take on the challenge of creating a “switch to your emotions.”

During the 3-month application period for the Yamaha Award, 147 entries from 27 countries were received. The judges selected OTON GLASS as the recipient of the Yamaha Award, the work that won the Grand Prix in the YouFab Global Creative Awards of the same year.

“emoglass,” a prototype developed by OTON GLASS and Yamaha employees, was exhibited in the YouFab Prize-Winning Works Exhibition which was held subsequently, based on the Yamaha Prize applications theme “the switch to your emotions.”

（About the Yamaha Award:　http://www.youfab.info/2016/yamaha_exhibition_report.html?lang=ja）

Organized by FabCafe

FabCafe is an open platform for the support of production by individuals. Fabrication equipment of the likes of laser printers and 3D printers that use digital data have been installed in a cafe space.

The FabCafe network currently extends around the world with locations in Tokyo, Hida, Kyoto, Taipei, Barcelona, Bangkok, Toulouse, Singapore, and Strasbourg.

https://fabcafe.com/tokyo/