Twin Simmetry

Twin simmetry is an installation designed for two african Ibeji statues. The installation is supported by a wooden base. The main structure consists of three wooden panels connected by two pieces of cloth. Each panel is made of two panels one centimeter thick glued together. The central panel supports a stylized arm (belonging to the Orisha goddess) which holds a two-plates scale made of wood, plexiglass and wire. An Ibeji statue is glued on each plate.

Step 1: 1)Ibeji Statues

-search a 3D model of the human body on tinkercad (file attached below) and import it into Cura

-set a 12 cm height for the statues

-save the model's Gcode on the 3D printer SD card and start the printing process

-when the first statue is completed, print the second one (with the exact same model)

-wrap a pearls necklace around each statue

Step 2: 2)Pictures of the Ibeji Legend

-draw six pictures of the Ibeji legend on the graphics tablet

-transfer the drawings on inkscape and place the six pictures with the following disposition: two separated columns of three pictures each. Every picture must be 12 cm high and 20 cm large (hence, the column containing three pictures will be 36 cm high). The two columns must be separated by a space 34 cm large.

-search a picture of a bogolàn decoration on the internet, import it into inkscape and place it in the 34 cm space between the drawings

-still using inkscape, draw a circle with a 5.7 cm diameter on the space occupied by the bogolàn decoration

-create a file dxf containing the pictures of the legend and the bogolàn picture

Step 3: 3)Base

-project a 63 cm x 25 cm rectangle on inkscape

-inside the rectangle, draw (on inkscape) the profile of the main structure as it would appear seen from above: an isosceles trapezoid without the majour base. The three "sides" must be 2.2 cm thick and there should be a 120 degree angle between the minor base and each oblique side

-create a dxf file and transfer it on a USB key

-cut a 1 cm thick wooden panel following the project previously made with inkscape

Step 4: 4)Orisha's Arm

-find someone with a small hand and wrist willing to let you use their arm as a model

-cover the person's hand, wrist and forearm with foil

-cover the foil with a couple of scotch tape layers

-remove the foil and tape from the person's arm (if necessary, cut the structure along one side to remove it and then close it back together using more tape)

-once the fake arm has been removed, make it more thick by adding a couple of tape layers

-fill the arm with journals

-cover the arm's surface with toilet paper and vinavil glue

-once the vinavil has dried, paint the arm with a brown, wood colour paint

Step 5: 5)two-plate Scale

1)PLATES

-using inkscape, project two circles with a 8 cm diameter (plates) and place three circles with a 7 mm diameter (holes) on the border of each plate and create a dxf file

-transfer the file on a USB key and, using a lasercutter, cut a piece of transparent plexiglass 3 mm thick following the file previously created

-paint ONE SIDE ONLY of each plate using a golden spray and let it dry

2)WIRES

-tie a 20.4 cm long piece of wire to each hole of the two plates

-drill two holes with a 2 mm diameter in the stick, one near each end

-wrap a second piece of wire, slightly shorter than the first one, around each piece of wire previously attached (now you should have three "double wires" attached to each plate)

3)WOODEN ROD

-get a wooden stick with a 6 mm diameter and cut a 20.5 cm long piece out of it

-paint the wooden stick with the golden spray and let it dry

4)WHOLE STRUCTURE

-insert two pieces of "double wire" (one from each plate) in the two holes on the stick ends and wrap the remaining wires around the stick and around the other wires

5)SCALE WITH STATUES

-glue each Ibeji statue (see step 1) on a plate using hot glue

Step 6: 6)main Structure

-get a 1 cm thick wooden panel and paint it with a black paint

-get the dxf file containing the pictures of the legend and the bogolàn (see step 2) and project (still using inkscape) three rectangles with the following size: two 20 cm large and 36 cm high rectangles (the lateral ones, containing the pictures of the legend) and one 34 cm large and 36 cm high rectangle (the central one, containing the bogolàn)

-transfer the dxf file on a usb key and, using a lasercutter, cut the rectangles and the circle and engrave the pictures on the 1 cm thick wooden panel which has been painted black

-project three rectangles of the same size as the previous ones and with a circle of the same size and in the same position as the other one on inkscape

-create a dxf file and transfer it on a USB key

-cut another 1 cm thick wooden panel following the dxf file

-glue one painted and engraved panel on one not painted wooden panel of the same size using hot glue

(you should now have three "double panels" with the panel on top painted and engraved)

-cut two 36 cm long and roughly 2 cm large pieces of cloth

-connect the three "double wooden panels" using the cloth and hot glue leaving the panel with the bogolàn in the middle

Step 7: 7)whole Installation

-insert the wooden main structure (see step 6) into the wooden base (see step 3)

-glue the stylized arm (see step 4) on the inside borders of the central panel using hot glue

-tie a couple of threads to the arm's fingers and to the base behind the main structure in order to make the structure more stable

-glue the wooden rod holding the scale (see step 5) on the arm's palm with hot glue

THE END!

made by Bazzini Federica, Colaiacovo Filippo, Raimondi Simone, Roccisano Antonio and Zamboni Benedetta4thB Liceo Scientifico Luigi Cremona, Milano.

Project realized during the internship at WeMake (https://www.instructables.com/member/WeMakeMilano/)in collaboration with MUDEC - Milano.