news
  • 21.3. - 21.9.2025
    exhibition

    our project "the idea of a tree" is part of the 2nd solar biennale "Soleil-s" at the MUDAC in Lausanne.
    Will live production of objects for their permanent collection on the 19.March, 21.June, 21.September

    MUDAC - solar biennale 2

  • ongoing
    permanent installation

    "Vital Rain" is a permanent installation in the museum yard. The installation was commissioned on the occasion of the "water pressure" exhibition in 2024

    MK&G Hamburg

  • ongoing
    interior design

    We developed the interior for the "Direktion - für alle". A multipurpose room in the MAK for workshops, readings, lectures, receptions, or simply as a place to relax.

    MAK

  • 22.5 - 6.7.2025
    exhibition

    our "ratio" project is part of the 13th edition of the Saint-Étienne International Design Biennial with the topic "Resource(s), Foreseeing the future"

    Design Biennale Saint Etienne

  • 6.6.2025 - 25.1.2026
    exhibition

    the "curiosity cloud-european edition" is part of the exhibition "WEtransFORM European Bauhaus and behond" exhibition. This adapted version represents extinct, endangered and common insects from Europe.

    Bundeskunsthalle Bonn

  • 18.9.2024 - 18.5.2025
    exhibition

    our "access" glasses are part of the exhibition AUT NOW - 100 x Austrian design for the 21st century.

    MAK - AUT NOW

  • april 2024 - ongoing
    factory tour

    We designed the factory tour for Laufen in Gmunden with a lot of details and small installations to guide and inform local and international guests.

    Laufen Gmunden

  • 2025
    awards

    Happy that the "access" glasses won the PULSE Award and the 3rd place at the Austrian "Neptun-Wasserpreis"

entomarium extinct

a collection of lamps that seemingly brings

extinct insects back to life

  • year 2020

  • categories Limited Editions
    Products & Furniture

detail of an entomarium extinct wall lamp with five extinct insects in bulbs, image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

entomarium extinct appreciates moments in nature and questions the interaction between man and nature. Developed for Victor Hunt Gallery, the project is a further development of the interactive installation curiosity cloud.
Simple, contemporary glass bells form the main component of these illuminated objects. These mouths-blown glass vessels are safe settings for artificial hand-fabricated insects portraying various extinct species from all over the world. Seen from a distance, the insects appear quiet and calm. However, as soon as one approach the object, the glass bells light up and the insects start swirling around, flying inside the glass vessels. They gently touch the glass, which in turn creates a soundscape. The project allows the extinct insects to seemingly come back to life in order to be seen and thus draw attention to the loss of biodiversity.
entomarium extinct is available in various sizes. Individual glass bulbs form a table lamp or a single wall lamp, multiple glass vessels together work as chandeliers or wall chandeliers. To work smoothly in private settings, the lamps can be switched from interactive mode, where the insects flutter to a quiet lamp mode, in which the intensity of the light can be controlled.

main image above: Leonard Hilzensauer

interacting with the entomarium extinct wall lamp
image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

extinct insects come seemingly back to life and thus draw attention to the loss of biodiversity

detail view on xerces blue hanging in the glass bulb of the table lamp
image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

chandelier at exhibition, Image credit: Jeroen Verrecht

exhibition view at victor hunt gallery, Image credit: Jeroen Verrecht

some of the extinct species we chose for entomarium extinct, all insects are artificially made referring to real species that once lived in the wild

drawing of the table lamp

  • material

    mouth-blown glass bulbs by Lobmeyr, metal, cables, steelwire, brass hoods, motors, LEDs, custom made circuit boards, sensors / artificial handcrafted insects made out of: printed and lasercut foil adapted with felt

  • dimensions

    table lamp: 22 x 45 x 61 cm

    wall lamp: 68 x 28 cm, adjustable in height

  • electrotechnical development

    Simon Laburda (DKIA)

  • team

    Katharina Mischer, Thomas Traxler, Elisa Polner, Monja Hirscher, Johannes Nortmann

  • special thanks to

    J. & L. Lobmeyr for producing the glass bulbs