Members of Kent State鈥檚 Design Innovation Initiative created a 3D-printed replica of the Liberty of Poetry statue that enabled visitors to see the Italian predecessor to the U.S. Statue of Liberty.
5X社区 and the Opera di Santa Croce in Florence, Italy, collaborated on the creation of 鈥淪isters in Liberty: From Florence, Italy, to New York, New York,鈥 an exhibition that was presented at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration in late 2019.
The exhibition featured two distinct sculptural personifications of liberty: New York City鈥檚 Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World and Florence鈥檚 Liberty of Poetry. Exhibit visitors participated in a multimedia experience as they considered the question 鈥淲hat does liberty mean to me?鈥
As a part of this collaboration, the partners leverage existing unique and innovative tools and platforms of the university, including Kent State鈥檚 Wick Poetry Center, Design Innovation Initiative and the digital visualization technologies from collaborating faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Aeronautics and Engineering, the College of the Arts and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design.
Kent State sent a multidisciplinary research team to 3D scan and digitally capture Pio Fedi鈥檚 Liberty of Poetry statue, located in the Cathedral Santa Croce in Florence. Utilizing very high-resolution scan data to create a 3D-printed replica, the 80 percent scale reproduction allowed visitors to see the Italian predecessor to the U.S. Statue of Liberty located directly across Ellis Island to Liberty Island.