Heat-Deformed PVC Tubing as Connector?

We've written about industrial designer and researcher Cui Zhihua before. Lately Cui's Instagram has been populated with new experiments he's been doing with what we think is PVC and a heat gun. Here's what he landed on--he appears to be working out a low-tech connector for dowels. The only text description is "Industrial craft - connectors." Cui was invited to present the work at this year's Paris Design Week, but I can find no press covering these connectors (at least, searching in...