Extended Touch: CNC Fabrication LONDON, UK APRIL 18, 2025

Date:

April 18th, 2025 (UTC+1)

Organizer:

Kingston School of Art

Symposium Chair:

Mr. Yoav Casp
Senior Lecturer in Kingston University

Personal Bio:

Yoav Caspi is a senior lecturer, architect, and sculptor. Yoav leads Yoca Design, a practice sculpting reliefs and lamps. The practice draws inspiration from architectural language, investigating landscapes and their inhabitants through reliefs. The lamps add another dimension to the sculpting practice through illumination.

Yoav’s research focuses on advanced fabrication techniques and materials that inform unique and sustainable designs. He is a senior lecturer at the Architectural Association and Kingston School of Art where he leads a design studio. Yoav holds a MArch with commendation from the Architectural Association and a Fellowship of Higher Education (FHEA) from Kingston University. He previously taught as a postgraduate unit master in the MArch course at London Southbank University. As an architect, Yoav gained experience at several renowned UK-based practices including David Kohn Architects, AHMM and Tonkin Liu. At David Kohn Architects, he contributed to the shortlisted entry to reimagine the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery and the design of New College in Oxford. At Tonkin Liu, he designed the roof of the Sun Rain Rooms which won the RIBA Award 2017.

Yoav’s work has been exhibited internationally in London, Budapest and Jerusalem. Yoav is the recipient of the Mike Davies Award and the Eileen Gray Award and was nominated for the AA Honours and the AA Prize. He served as a member and a trustee of the AA Council, the AA governing body.

Symposium Committee Members

Senior Woodshop Technician Mark Vernon, Kingston School of Art

Senior Technician and Lecturer Angela Ford, Kingston School of Art

Background

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) refers to a process in which digital information is sent to a mechanical tool that automates and executes a specific task. Traditionally used in industries like automotive and furniture manufacturing, CNC has also gained prominence in architecture and the arts. Initially employed to produce site models, CNC has evolved over the past decade, becoming integral in architectural practice and construction for fabricating complex architectural elements and large-scale components. Beyond its technical utility, CNC has influenced artistic expression, enabling artists and architects to create intricate moulds and sculptures that merge technology with traditional craftsmanship. From a sociocultural perspective, CNC fabrication represents a growing intersection of art, technology, and design, reflecting shifts in how digital tools reshape creative processes and cultural production in contemporary society. As an architect, academic, and sculptor, I employ CNC techniques to bridge these disciplines, producing moulds and reliefs that explore the interplay between art and technology.

Goal/Rationale:

CNC fabrication offers transformative possibilities for both architecture and fine art, reshaping not only creation but also how we engage with design in society. Its automated process enables highly detailed, high-quality designs in less time, central to my work at Kingston School of Art and the Architectural Association. By producing site models, architectural elements, and sculptures with precision, CNC significantly reduces labor costs and time. From a sociocultural perspective, CNC democratizes design, allowing broader access to high-precision production. It bridges traditional craftsmanship with digital techniques, redefining how art and architecture are perceived and produced in contemporary society.

Call for Papers

Scope and Information for Participants:

This symposium is aimed at students, researchers, and individuals interested in CNC fabrication as a sculpting technique, with a focus on its applications in fine art and cultural studies. The conference will explore how CNC fabrication can be used to create reliefs and sculptures, encouraging participants to develop their design language and engage with landscapes or characters that inhabit them. The goal is to exchange experiences and ideas among participants, and to share achievements in both the physical and digital realms of art. It is also expected to offer solutions, recommendations, and discuss how CNC techniques can be applied in larger cultural contexts, from interior design to large-scale cultural buildings. Several keywords are listed to guide the thematic focus, including CNC fabrication, digital sculpting, and cultural expression, but the topics are not limited to these.

Topics

The main topics of this symposium are listed below.

Fine Arts & Design

  • Artificial Intelligence in Art
  • Visual Arts
  • Generative Art
  • Immersive Installations
  • NFTs and Digital Ownership
  • Interactive Art
  • Data Visualization Design
  • Sustainable Art Practices
  • Contemporary Art
  • Art Criticism
  • Animation Production
  • Music and Dance Studies
  • Bio-Art and Biodesign
  • Traditional Media (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture)
  • Digital Media (3D Animation, UX Design, Corporate Design)
  • Commercial Design (Advertising, Editorial Design)

Culture & Sociology

  • Theoretical Sociology
  • Historical Sociology
  • Sociology of Knowledge
  • Criminology
  • Sociology of Religion
  • Sociology of Economy
  • Rural Sociology
  • Urban Sociology
  • Political Sociology
  • Sociology of Demography
  • Sociology of Law
  • Industrial Sociology
  • Anthropology
  • Intercultural Communication & Cross - cultural Studies

Meanwhile, submissions aligned with the overall conference theme are also welcome.

History & Philosophy

  • Ethics and Applied Philosophy
  • Metaphysics and Epistemology
  • Political Philosophy and Governance
  • Philosophy of Science and Technology
  • Environmental and Climate History
  • Military and Diplomatic History
  • Religious and Cultural History
  • Social Movements and Public History
  • Post - Colonial Studies and Global History
  • Philosophy of Mind and Consciousness

Journalism & Mass Media

  • AI in Journalism
  • Digital Transformation in Media
  • Social Media Journalism
  • Data Journalism
  • VR and AR in Media
  • Blockchain and Media Ownership
  • Ethics in Digital Media
  • Influencer and Social Media Journalism
  • Cross - Platform Journalism
  • Public Interest Media
  • Traditional Sectors (Print Media, Electronic Media, Opinion Journalism)
  • Specialized Journalism Types (Investigative, Political, Entertainment Journalism)
  • Film and Film Production
  • Photography and Film Production
  • Theater and Film Studies

Languages & Linguistics

  • Historical and Comparative Linguistics
  • Applied and Educational Linguistics
  • Sociolinguistics and Language Variation
  • Computational and AI Linguistics
  • Psycholinguistics and Cognitive Processing
  • Forensic and Legal Linguistics
  • Multilingualism and Language Policy
  • Stylistics and Discourse Analysis
  • Corpus Linguistics and Data Analysis
  • Language Acquisition and Development
  • Languages and Broadcasting

Literature & Translation

  • Contemporary and New Century Literature
  • Classical and Ancient Literature
  • Literary Theory and Criticism
  • Digital and Network Literature
  • Gender Studies in Literature
  • Cross - Cultural and Literary Translation
  • Technical Translation and Localization
  • Multimedia Translation and Adaptation
  • Regional and Comparative Literature
  • Environmental and Eco - Criticism in Literature
  • Literature and Poetry

Submission

All submitted papers should report original and unpublished work, experimental or theoretical, and are not under consideration for publications elsewhere. All papers should be no less than 4 pages in length and must strictly follow the format of the symposium template. All papers are subject to reviews and edits. Prospective authors are kindly invited to submit full text papers that includes title, abstract, introduction, tables/figures and references. Other styles of papers are not accepted. Please submit your papers in both .doc/.docx AND .pdf formats as attachments via email to [email protected] by the given deadline. It is unnecessary to submit an abstract in advance.

Paper Template

Publication

Accepted papers of the symposium will be published in Communications in Humanities Research (Print ISSN 2753-7064), and will be submitted to Conference Proceedings Citation Index (CPCI), Crossref, CNKI, Portico, Google Scholar and other databases for indexing. The situation may be affected by factors among databases like processing time, workflow, policy, etc.

* The papers will be exported to production and publication on a regular basis. Early-registered papers are expected to be published online earlier.

This symposium is organized by ICLLCD 2025 and it will independently proceed the submission and publication process

Ways to Participate

Attendance Onsite

The symposium welcomes participants to attend on-site and share the innovative experiences and researches with the group. Therefore, we provide some general information about the visa application. If you want to attend the symposium on-site, please email the symposium

committee:[email protected].

Visa

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