OM-02 - DARE

Ocean Morphology 02 is a suspended wooden object created by the Belgium-based duo DARE (Marielena Papandreou & Vincent Huyghe). The geometry derives from a 3D scan of a coral, Agaricia speciosa, sourced from the Smithsonian Institution’s open-access digital archive. This coral species naturally grows in delicate, leaf-like plates to maximize light capture for its symbiotic algae. Rather than being a literal reproduction of this marine structure, the work reinterprets its form in timber through robotic fabrication. Light is not emitted by the object itself. An external spotlight reveals its surface qualities, emphasizing texture, grain, depth, and curvature. Through the combination of 3D scanning, computational design, and robotic woodworking, DARE explores contemporary forms of craftsmanship that remain deeply rooted in the inherent qualities and intelligence of natural materials.