Nova CB Collision — Studio Remco van Baren

A multidisciplinary designer based in Arnhem, recently graduated from the Artez Institute of the Arts. With a focus on blending graphic design, 3D modeling, audio, research practices, and accessibility, my work spans both digital and print media.

Feel free to reach out for collaborations / opportunities.

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Archival Dissonance

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2024

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///Nova CB Collision
The Value of Craft: Real ↔ Rendered

Hand-crocheted and Digitally Rendered Bag, 2023
3D Modeling and Shader Design by Remco van Baren

The Nova CB Collision project was born from my curiosity about the relationship between traditional craft and digital creation. I started by hand-crocheting a large cross-body bag—the Nova CB Original—as a way to learn the craft and understand how much time it would really take. It was a slow, detailed process that resulted in a unique, one-of-a-kind item.

At the same time, I wanted to see if I could recreate this bag in Blender, not just as a basic 3D model, but as something that looked and behaved like the real thing. I used photos of the original bag to create height maps and worked hard to make sure the digital version had the same texture and feel. The result is the Nova CB Collision—a digital version of the bag that, despite taking just as much time to perfect, can be easily shared, customized, and reproduced online. (Collision hints back to the physical interaction of the bag).

This project explores the question of value—what makes something valuable, and how does that change when we move from the physical to the digital? The handmade Nova CB Original is unique and took a lot of time to create, so it’s priced high to reflect that. On the other hand, the Nova CB Collision can be customized in Blender and is much more affordable, even though it involved a similar amount of work.

To play with these ideas, I created a website that looks like an online store where you can "buy" both the handcrafted and digital versions of the bag. The Nova CB Collision comes in two versions: The Physics Set, which shows the bag’s realistic movement, and the Baked Set, which is more static but looks sharp and polished. You can even download a small patch of the 3D fabric for a few euros, highlighting the difference in how we value physical versus digital work.

This project is really about exploring how traditional craft meets new technology, and how that changes the way we think about making things, sharing them, and assigning value to them.