Collective Paper Aesthetics

What a week!

A big thank you to the dedicated and welcoming team NSM Thailand Official for the warm welcome and for bringing together so many like-minded people from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond for this week’s ASPAC get-together.

I was particularly impressed by the decision to position Science Central—including its exhibition spaces and Business Lounge—within ThailandNSTFair 2026. It created a vibrant platform where science, innovation, education, and business could come together in meaningful ways.

One of the highlights was seeing so many children from across Thailand actively engaged in hands-on science and technology activities. Their curiosity, enthusiasm, and excitement were truly inspiring. And, of course, the delicious food and cute shopping added to the experience!

For me, this was not only a special experience but also a brilliant curatorial decision—bringing science closer to people and creating opportunities for meaningful engagement across generations and sectors.

Kudos to NSM Thailand and everyone involved in making this happen.

Meet Miss May, who has a real gift for making complex geometry clear, engaging, and inspiring.

Tomorrow and the following day, Miss May and her colleagues will facilitate the Science Central ASPAC Pavilion at the ThailandNSTFair 2026, sharing ideas and engaging with visitors around “Intelligence in Science for a Sustainable Future.”

Many thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday and today. It was wonderful and inspiring to exchange ideas, knowledge and perspectives with so many curious and engaged visitors.

We look forward to continuing the conversations and welcoming more people to the pavilion!

Getting set up at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok for our ASPAC Pavilion, part of the larger ThailandNSTFair 2026. 🔬🌏✨

The fair brings together science, technology, creativity, and innovation under the inspiring theme “Intelligence in Science for a Sustainable Future.”
Did you know? In 2024, nearly 700,000 people attended the NST Science and Technology Fair, with more than 300,000 students and visitors registering in advance from over 1,200 schools across Thailand. It’s an incredible platform for connecting people with science and inspiring the next generation of curious minds.

Many thanks to everyone at NSM Thailand Official and Pico for all the hard work in bringing the Collective Paper Aesthetics booth together.

We’re excited to be part of this special week and look forward to welcoming visitors to the ASPAC Pavilion! 🚀

Looking forward to an exciting week ahead in Bangkok!

I’m very much looking forward to being part of ASPAC Conference 2026, “Museum Empowering Futures: Science Engagement in the Age of Uncertainty taking place” at NSM Thailand Official It will be a great opportunity to exchange ideas, meet inspiring colleagues from across the region, and reflect on how museums and science centres can engage audiences in a rapidly changing world.

Collective Paper Aesthetics will be showcasing our hands-on, interactive modular systems at the National Science & Technology Fair 2026, taking place at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani.

Halls 9–11, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani Exhibition and Convention Center
18–21 August 2026
09:00–19:00

It’s always exciting to see the growing role of science engagement, STEAM education, creativity and immersive experiences in connecting people with science and technology.

If you’re attending either event, I’d be very happy to connect and exchange ideas. Hope to see many familiar and new faces in Bangkok!

📸 Photography: Alessia Frasson & Cameron Bleck for Blooomers

What an incredible journey it has been!

Although the pop-up installation at the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 Hub in Frankfurt has come to an end, the warmth, creativity, and connections we experienced there will stay with us. And the journey continues!

Some of the HEART-board Pyramids are now travelling with me to ASPAC in Bangkok, taking place from August 18–21, and will also be part of the hands-on showcase at ASTC on September 18.

HEART-board Pyramids are interactive building blocks made from 100% corrugated cardboard. Designed to be assembled by hand, they invite families and children aged 7+ to explore geometry, creativity, and collaborative building. They are available in regular and medium sizes.

This photo was taken during the opening weekend of the World Design Capital 2026 Hub at the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt in January. It was wonderful to see families, professionals, and visitors of all ages pick up one, two, or more kits and create places they truly loved.

A huge thank you to bayern design, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Germany, and Farbe des Weines for their support—and to the incredible WDC team for building and running this space with such enthusiasm, dedication, and care.

🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ecF7k24a

📸 Photography: Boaz Arad Photography

ParticipatoryDesign

“By the Time I Get to Phoenix…”

And here we are!

I’m excited to bring Collective Paper Aesthetics to ASTC 2026, hosted at the Arizona Science Center in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

📅 Friday, September 18
⏰ 12:20–12:35 PM

We’ll be sharing a showcase, hands-on experience, and Q&A around our tentative presentation:

“Designing for Participation: How the HEART-board Pyramid Engages Communities in STEAM Learning”

ASTC—the Association of Association of Science and Technology Centers and Technology Centers—brings together science centers, museums, educators, and innovators from around the world to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and explore new approaches to engaging communities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

If you’ll be at ASTC 2026, whether we’ve exchanged emails over the past few years or are connecting for the first time, I’d be delighted to hear from you. Send me a short note if you’d like to meet and explore a possible collaboration, and I’ll be happy to arrange a time between September 16–19.

And, while I’m in Phoenix, I’d also love your recommendations: What should I see or experience beyond the Boneyard and Antelope Valley?

Looking forward to conversations, new connections, and a little Phoenix adventure.

See you in Phoenix! 🌵

STEAM

Earlier this year, we celebrated the opening of the Bledsoe-Miller STEAM Center in Waco with the launch of the HEART-board pyramid —an interactive installation designed to encourage creativity, curiosity, and meaningful community engagement.

Although the exhibition has officially come to an end and the space is now hosting a new installation, it’s exciting to see the project continue its journey. Doreen Ravenscroft and the dedicated team at Cultural Arts of Waco are bringing the HEART-board pyramid to new locations across the city, extending its impact well beyond the original exhibition.

One of the most rewarding aspects of designing interactive public art is seeing it take on a life of its own through the people and communities who continue to use it.

The project was initiated by Doreen Ravenscroft (Cultural Arts of Waco) in collaboration with Robin McDurham and Lindsey Helton (Transformation Waco ), with support from the Texas Commission on the Arts .

Photography: ticomendoza Mendoza

This week’s summer programme at Zuiderparktheater Den Haag marks the return of Vouw & BouwLAB, a modular play system that invites visitors of all ages to build, explore, and play.

Developed over multiple seasons in collaboration with Zuiderparktheater, MuseumLAB Zuidwest by Museon-Omniversum and Festival de Festival De Betovering , Vouw & BouwLAB reimagines a geometric modular system using corrugated plastic, cardboard, and 260 g paper. The project has evolved across different seasons, formats, and public contexts, demonstrating how adaptable design can foster participation, creativity, and social interaction in shared spaces.

If you’re visiting this week, don’t forget to stay hydrated, enjoy the sunshine, and most importantly—have fun building and playing. ☀️💧

📸 Photo by Aldwin van Krimpen

Ten years ago, we were invited to participate in the International Children’s Art Festival (ICAF) in Beijing during China’s National Day Golden Week.

Hosted in the iconic 798 Art District, the festival brought together art, science, education, and thousands of families in one of China’s most dynamic cultural spaces.

For the occasion, we created 1,000 HEART Board Pyramid Kits. Throughout the week, Luis Díaz Rivera and I build alongside children and families, supported by an extraordinary team of volunteers. Despite the language differences, making together became its own language. Watching a simple cardboard interlocking system evolve into large collaborative structures was a powerful reminder that creativity has the ability to connect people across cultures.

Looking back ten years later, what stays with me is not the scale of the project, but the people—the generosity, the openness, and the meaningful connections that emerged through the shared act of making.

I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this experience possible.

📷 Photo: Wei Guo

After exploring the possibilities of E-flute cardboard, PET felt panels, and F-flute cardboard, we are looking at another material that opens new possibilities for audience interaction, especially in outdoor environments: 3 mm corrugated plastic.

For Macrofractals, our interactive installation created for Fundación “la Caixa” we recreated our original E-flute cardboard modular system, Ring op het Ding, using 3 mm corrugated plastic.

From an engineering perspective, corrugated cardboard and corrugated plastic each bring unique advantages.

E-flute cardboard offers excellent structural rigidity, a high strength-to-weight ratio, and precise performance when carefully engineered for indoor installations. It is also produced from renewable paper fibers and remains a highly recyclable material.

Corrugated plastic, on the other hand, provides different opportunities. Its resistance to moisture, ease of cleaning, and durability under repeated handling make it particularly suitable for outdoor environments and installations with intensive public interaction. Its fluted honeycomb structure combines lightweight construction with flexibility and long-term resilience.

Choosing the right material is always about understanding the context: the expected lifespan, environment, audience interaction, and the balance between structural performance, sustainability, and practical requirements.

Material choices shape not only how an installation is built, but also how audiences experience and interact with it.

📷 Photo: Juan Alfonso Zapata at Museo de la Ciencia CosmoCaixa Barcelona.