Mateus Sartori explores robotic metal growth at MX3D

From 15–26 June 2026, architect and computational designer Mateus Sartori took part in the Accelerator4Crafts Residency Programme at MX3D. His Barcelona-based practice, MOMAMU, spans contemporary jewellery, objects and digital fabrication.

During the residency, Mateus explored Robotic Metal Growth: how computational systems inspired by natural processes could become sculptural forms through robotic metal printing. He was particularly interested in developing a design language that could move between the scale of the body, the object and the space around it.

Exploring forms inspired by natural processes

Mateus developed and refined a series of digital iterations, drawing on branching, accretion and patterns of delta and dune ecologies.

Working with MX3D’s wire arc additive manufacturing process brought the geometry into dialogue with the behaviour of deposited metal and the practical demands of printing.

Outcomes and future directions

The resulting prototype and process opened a direction for future MOMAMU pieces, from wearable objects to lighting, furniture and spatial work.

Mateus’s residency brought together computational design, inspiration from natural processes and robotic metal printing in an exploration of sculptural form across different scales.