Antoine Léger, 04-06.2025
Remix, Unit 2
MA Material Futures: Central Saint Martins
1970 Imperial Signet typewriter
No. MC 1574819
I reimagined the typewriter as a tool to materialise the hidden costs of AI. Each keystroke prints a glyph shaped by CO₂ emissions data. These are silent warnings instead of words. This project explores the balance between conceptual clarity and experimental making, using workshops to test processes and fail early. The typewriter becomes a bridge between analog and digital: a site of productive slowness, embodied gesture, and material honesty. Unlike digital tools, it reminds us that every word has weight. Reactivating it invites reflection on labour, obsolescence, misinformation, and what we risk losing to seamless automation.
Typebar Modification and Metal Casting
(01.05 - 05.06)
Modifying the typewriter’s typebars required close collaboration with the Jewellery Workshop. I unsoldered the original type slugs, designed new ones in 3D, and 3D printed them in wax for metal casting. Due to technical constraints, the final slugs were printed in resin instead, allowing the project to move forward within time limits.
Computational Design and Data Translation
(13.05 - 29.05)
Creating 3D textures from data using TouchDesigner and Grasshopper has been an exploration of computational design. I used CO₂ emission values from AI processes, aiming to remap them into mesh behaviors or noise patterns that translate abstract data into physical forms reflecting the environmental impact of digital actions.
Living Ink Experimentation
(01.05 - 14.05)
Part of my experimentation involved working at the Grow Lab to create “living ink” for the typewriter ribbon. The aim was to turn each printed page into a living message embedded with nutrients or microbes. While not part of the final outcome, this allowed valuable material exploration and ecological storytelling.