Take a 3D Selfie at the TWINSIE Lab in Zürich

How many selfies have you snapped this week? Thought so!

In order to take a selfie of a different kind, we recently visited a new pop-up gallery in Zürich. Run by ifolor, the Swiss family business that has been printing our photographs for nearly sixty years, the TWINSIE technology is a step into the future. That’s because a TWINSIE is a selfie on Steroids: It is a photo-realistic miniature replica in 3D!

Thanks to the latest 3D printing technique and the patient artists at ifolor in Kreuzlingen, we will soon receive a package with our own Mini Me’s. The printing process for each miniature model takes anywhere from eight to twelve hours. The scale is 1:10, so about 17 cm in height for myself. And finally, thanks to an extreme level of detail with some 390’000 color shades, I expect my miniature self to be as realistic as can be.

The TWINSIE Pop-up Gallery by ifolor

The location of the TWINSIE pop-up gallery is just a few steps from Zürich’s Viadukt market. There, the renowned interior designer, Martina Nievergelt, has created an abstract world consisting of whitewashed furniture and accessories. A small tribe of 3D printed figurines is nestled in between the lamps and picture frames, making this a fun place for discovery.

At the center of the room, there is a large photo booth boasting some 68 individual cameras. Based on our height, these cameras will record several different positions for each participant. So you could play around by striking a pose or simply looking straight ahead.

It is free of charge to step into the photo booth and have your pictures taken. A short while later, you will receive access to see your shots online, from where you can decide to place an order. The introductory price is 149 francs plus shipping.

The 3D pop-up lab at Limmatstrasse 285 is open Mondays through Fridays from noon to 8 PM, Saturdays from noon to 5 PM. Learn more and reserve your time slot before the end of March.

(All photographs copyright ifolor)