It is possible that this is not new. It is a wild idea, artistical. 

There are two variants to this idea. It is about making a tridimensional object that would move or rather change shape. 

First you get a frame, real 3D cubical frame, made of many beams, and you glue electrical resistors to many points there. The frame is built of a metal alloy that expands a lot when heated. 

Then you add to these resistors a circuit that will enable them to be turned on independently. I suppose that would mean lots of switches.

Then you wrap the whole thing in a rubber balloon, real tight. The wires come off the bottom, and you plug them to your microcontroller and power source.

With some luck, as you heat the resistors the beams will expand and the object will take shape. It may be slower than you expect. 

What will determine the shape is the heat pattern formed inside the object.

A second variant considered was a powder of sorts that also expands well with heat. It would replace the frame.