Cracked Cube
Ewerdt Hilgemann
The ingenious vision of the art of air extraction
German-Dutch artist Ewerdt Hilgemann brings a bold vision to life by extracting air from hollow metal objects, creating artworks with a powerful and unique expression. In the following, we will highlight the technical features of one of these pieces: the "Cracked Cube".
The edge length of the piece is 1990 x 1990 x 1990 mm. It is made of stainless steel sheet of alloy 1.4404 with a material thickness of 3 mm and a total weight of around 570 kg. The stainless steel sheet is polished on one side. The six individual sheet metal segments are tightly joined together using laser welding. This welding technique is chosen for its high speed, narrow and slim weld seams, and low thermal distortion.
Perfectly imperfect
The polished surfaces are located inside the cube. It is crucial to ensure that no discoloration occurs on the polished surface during welding, as this would be visible after implosion and cutting. To ensure this, special precautions are taken during the manufacturing process. The implosion itself can take up to an hour for a piece of this size. The weld seams are designed to endure the intense deformation during implosion without tearing, as any tear would halt the entire process. Due to the stresses that arise after implosion, opening must be carried out with the utmost care.
The slow, captivating process of implosion carries a unique fascination, as the final result remains uncertain until the end, often leading to unexpected shapes. We are honored to accompany Ewerdt Hilgemann on his creative path and to collaborate with him in further developing this remarkable metalworking technique.
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