Laura Sub1
computational artist, non-object designer, and Internet collector, explores the intersection of 3D printing, virtual objects, and the omnipresent influence of the Internet on our lives. Embodying the ethos of the Digital Diogenes, her research addresses societal trends towards accumulation, over-saturation, and the obsolescence of objects. Through advocating for hacking, repairing, and collecting, she fosters a culture of appreciation, sustainability, and care. Laura navigates the liminal spaces between virtual and physical realms, investigating the potential of the performative archive as a political and poetic agent. Remixing 3D printing, virtual objects, and digital tools, she aims to construct a dynamic, chaotic collection of digital files, concepts, materials and artefacts; inviting engagement with the imperfect nature of our digital existence; nurturing a culture of appreciation, sustainability, care, and sensitive inter-connectivity.

In a reality where technology inhabits nearly every aspect of life, Laura positions herself as an explorer of the in-between, probing the consequences of a life mediated by screens. She questions our reliance on Artificial Intuition for decision-making, pondering whether we truly understand our desires anymore.

By framing archiving as a performative endeavour, her project confronts notions of order and stability. Utilising 3D software, she observes a transformative shift in material culture, introducing new methods for documenting cultural heritage and reshaping our understanding of matter, entities, identities, history, and politics. In her digital archiving process, Laura constructs a collection of data downloaded from the Internet, accumulating 2D representations of everyday artefacts. This practice, driven by the digital realm's effortless capacity to save and erase, raises critical questions about the problematic nature of the Cloud, its materiality, and its ecological impact, urging a reevaluation of our digital footprint in a hyper-connected landscape.

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Silly Archiving: on .............

PhD candidate at Bau

My thesis proposal operates as an open laboratory of organization and rituals. This work challenges the boundaries of how we perceive, interact with, and archive our lives in an era defined by virtuality and virality. Additionally, my work addresses the challenges posed by the continuous flow of information, emphasizing the urgency of practices that acknowledge the materiality and fragility of our hyper-connected environment.

2024-Ongoing

Surfing the Web: Remixing Rubbish 

This project explores the digital detritus of an era oversaturated with information. Through an autonomous bot that selects 3D objects from online platforms, the project questions agency in the data-driven age—where human intent blurs with algorithmic automation. These objects, processed through AI-mimicking noise and denoise techniques, emerge as hybrid forms—quasi-objects that evoke Latour’s concepts and Kafka’s Odradek. 3D printed, they materialize as cyber-fossils, tangible yet disconcerting. The exhibition unveils the fragility of digital memory, contrasting the rapid decay of online information with the slow, deliberate process of physicalization. What remains of us in the wake of digital excess?
2024-Ongoing

Stool 44cm


Represents a creative venture into archiving ordinary objects, rendering them tangible and visually captivating. This project endeavors to fuse digital files of everyday items, transcending the digital realm to manifest a physical object that encapsulates the core of this concept. Through an exploration of archiving in the digital domain, the project challenges traditional perceptions of what holds archival significance, aiming to showcase the importance of preserving and documenting commonplace articles.2023

“archivo.me”

For as long as I can recall, I've been a collector of the mundane objects that shape my daily life.

In 2017, my obsession with preserving the present culminated in the creation of an archive—a project that probed into the reasons behind our inclination to archive and hold time stable, in a constantly changing world. 

Questions arose: What is the essence of preservation? Who holds the authority to determine what warrants preservation and what doesn't?

A year later, this project evolved, delving deeper into the realm of art. The concept expanded to challenge conventional norms by granting agency to a machine to discern rationally what qualifies for inclusion in my archive. Meanwhile, the audience's emotional input became pivotal, holding the ultimate power in the decision-making process. As an observer, your participation is invited; your role is to engage with the machine, influencing its judgment regarding which objects I should retain and which I should let go.

Exhibited in Septermber 2018 at Echosystems, London. 2018

“archivo digital personal”

This project emerges from a process of design exploration and experimentation, aiming to provoke contemplation regarding the present's inevitable obsolescence. It is not merely a personal endeavor centered around documenting a collection of materials that has accompanied me for 22 years; it also involves the deliberate destruction of this accumulation, prompting reflection on the transient nature of existence and the value of letting go rather than holding onto memories.These concepts are linked to Zygmunt Bauman’s notion of 'liquidity', which acknowledges the ever-changing nature of our surroundings. This idea becomes particularly pronounced in a digital era where constancy is elusive, and change prevails in everything.

Following this self-destructive process, I contemplate whether I can overcome this Diogenes syndrome, seeking a transitional phase leading to a state where I can detach from all material memories, allowing for a fresh start. Moreover, I ponder the contemporary socio-cultural perception of archives: Do they retain functionality in today's context? Has the preservation of material culture lost its significance, rendering it redundant in our fast-paced society?2017