Artist Highlight - Jacob Walls

1. Hollow(core) Bench exposes its internal structure rather than concealing it. What interested  you about revealing the material composition of the object so directly?

Foam in furniture is usually hidden beneath upholstery and treated purely as a structural component.  I became interested in reversing that logic by exposing the interior of the object and allowing it to  become the surface of the work itself.

By revealing the foam rather than concealing it, the bench exposes the internal systems that  normally remain invisible within furniture. Compression, density and irregular forms become part  of the visual language, allowing the object to openly show how it is constructed and what it is made  from.

2. The bench incorporates reclaimed foam offcuts whose irregular forms shape the final  structure. How does allowing discarded material to determine form influence the design  process?

The process begins with the material rather than a predetermined form. The reclaimed foam offcuts  arrive with their own cuts, densities and irregular geometries, so the structure develops through  responding to what already exists.

Instead of imposing a fixed design, the material is applied through accumulation and compression.  The role of the designer becomes one of negotiation rather than control, allowing discarded material  to guide the final form while still shaping it into a functional object.

3. The thermochromic surface responds to body heat and touch. How does this temporary  visual trace change the relationship between the object and the person using it?

The thermochromic surface allows interaction to become visible. When someone sits, leans or  touches the bench, their body heat briefly alters the colour of the material, leaving a trace that  slowly fades.

At the same time the surface is also sensitive to ambient temperature, meaning the object constantly  shifts in response to its surroundings. Depending on the season, time of day, or environment, the  bench can appear subtly or dramatically different. In this way it becomes a record of both human  presence, activity and atmospheric conditions.

4. The piece sits between sculpture and functional furniture. How important is this ambiguity  in shaping how the work is experienced?

The ambiguity allows the object to remain open. Rather than being immediately understood as  either furniture or sculpture, it asks the viewer to determine how to approach it. That hesitation  slows the encounter, creating a heightened awareness of the body in relation to the object.

As interaction takes place, the surface begins to shift, quietly registering presence through pressure  and heat. In this sense, the piece is never fixed, but continuously in transition, shaped by time,  environment, and activity. The object becomes less passive, operating instead as an active  participant in the encounter.

5. Compression, density, and irregularity remain visible within the foam structure. What do  these traces reveal about the material’s previous life?

Each section of foam carries information from its previous life: cuts, compression, and formations  from earlier processes. Rather than erasing these traces, the work preserves them.

The irregular structure allows these histories to remain visible, embedding a record of  transformation within the material. Variations in density and alignment reveal how the foam has  been handled, shaped, and reused.

What might typically be discarded becomes evidence of manufacturing, process, and labour. The  material isn’t refined into uniformity; it retains its past while being re-contextualised into a new  contemporary form.

6. The heat traces slowly fade after interaction. How does this temporary visibility relate to  your interest in memory and human presence?

I aim to strengthen the relationship between person, object, and space by highlighting usually  unnoticed interactions and the emotions embedded within everyday encounters. My research draws  from protective structures in nature that house, evolve, and adapt to their surroundings.

In many ways, the work reflects this, something both organic and slightly alien. The pieces invite  participation, allowing the user to become part of the artwork, the final layer within a system of  elements that operate together.

7. Within The Invisible Made Visible, the work highlights the subtle interactions between body,  material, and space. What aspects of these interactions do you hope viewers become aware of  when encountering the bench?

I want viewers to notice the tension between control and unpredictability. The bench reacts to the  body and environment in ways you can’t fully anticipate, an imprint fades, a surface shifts, a warm  mark appears somewhere unexpected. These subtle changes reveal that objects are not neutral; they  respond, remember, and evolve with interaction.

It’s less about what the bench shows, and more about what it asks of the viewer: to slow down, to  become conscious of their presence, and to recognise that they are part of a system, a dialogue  between material, body, and environment that is constantly unfolding.