“Soft Nothings” is a project developed by resident artist Divleena Singh.

The intention of this project was to explore the aesthetic potential of soft-lightweight structures using models, hands-on craftsmanship, digital simulations, and digital fabrication. The background for this work was a fundamental understanding of structural concepts like Tensegrity (K. Snelson) and Pneus (F. Otto), which existed in both biotic and technical structures. The process was driven by the curiosity to find alternatives to arbitrary, ‘heavy’ forms, intricately merging hard and soft materials using makerspace facilities, and attempting to find playful analogue interactions.

This, intersecting with the simplification of fabrication using discretisation and hand-craftsmanship, led to minimal emergent sculptures, some with bending-active and floating elements; some convex hulls. The outcome: about 10 disparate lightweight sculptural prototypes ranging from hand-scale to body-scale, along with selected form-finding simulations. One was derived from the 3D scan of a boulder but was created in an ethereal material to express contrast. Another was a hybrid based on the mathematical trefoil knot. Some prototypes served as a means to explore materiality, reinforcing the idea of lightweighted-ness and ethereality through their barely-there translucent presence. Some of them could be touched to experience their curious movements. Selected outcomes from the workshop: ‘Finding Forms: Creating and Capturing Body-Scale Membrane Sculptures’ were presented, with credits.