Taking the shape of a raven’s head, the Transformation Mask is the result of collaboration between artist Shawn Hunt and Microsoft.

Art and technology come together in the Transformation Mask, a 3D printed helmet in the shape of a raven’s head. It is the product of creative collaboration between Heiltsuk artist Shawn Hunt and Microsoft Vancouver’s in-house makerspace, The Garage.

The inspiration for the design came from the raven’s reputation as the “ultimate trickster” in Heiltsuk mythology. Hunt, therefore, considered it to be the perfect creature to morph into a cyborg, and he did so use Microsoft’s huge variety of modern technologies.

The resulting piece was shown at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The artistry in the raven’s head is clear from a single glance, after which the installation’s impressive tech features slowly reveal themselves.

The core feature is the HoloLens, Microsoft’s holographic headset, which is enclosed in a 3D printed shell that opens to reveal the human inside.

During the project, Microsoft employees introduced Hunt to a number of modern technologies that can be used to aid artistic expression. Check out the result in the video below:

3D Printing a Huge Raven Head with a HoloLens

To develop the mask, Hunt first created a paper prototype, which allowed him to take small iterative steps. These changes would ultimately decide the final form and size of the 3D print.

Digitally modeling the huge head revealed that it needed to be sliced in order to meet printer specifications. The final twenty sections were individually printed with PLA and assembled using acrylic resin. Unsurprisingly, the overall printing time took nearly 300 hours.

Once assembled, the entirely 3D printed mask is a meter long, with interlocking parts supported by aluminum rails.

To complete the experience, engineers included many mechanical elements, which they’ve detailed on the project’s dedicated website. They describe the final look as “sleek on the outside, juxtaposed by organized chaos on the inside.”

There are many ways to interpret the mask, but most interesting is how the technology brings human and machine together. In this way, it is very similar to how traditional indigenous masks are meant to connect humans to animals.

You can find out more by visiting Hunt’s website or by checking out the Microsoft Garage.