news
  • ongoing
    exhibition

    we had the pleasure to co-curate the new MAK Design Lab at the Museum of applied Arts in Vienna. Within the permanent exhibition one can find as well a few of our projects like 'the idea of a tree', 'limited moths' or 'LeveL

    MAK Design Lab

  • dec. 2022
    acquisition

    we are happy that our project 'Access' was acquired by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta.
    thanks a lot.
    The project 'Access' is a set of six drinking glasses, confronting people with the global distribution of clean drinking water.

    High Museum of Art Atlanta

limitedMoths

a project that represents limitation in reality

  • year ongoing since 2008

  • categories Limited Editions
    Products & Furniture

  • commissioned by

    self-intiated

limitedMoths is part of the realLimited series. A rare Austrian moth species is portrait in a specific metal. As a huge swarm, the moths are flying towards a light bulb. Some single moths are placed randomly on the wall. Each moth is numbered and represents one moth left in reality. Each swarm (lamp) is unique. The number of the limited edition derives directly from nature. In dialogue with an Austrian entomologist, the number of specimens of each specific moths species, still occurring in nature, is estimated and reproduced in pure metal. As there is just a countable number of individual moths of that species left in Austria, there is always just a certain amount of lamp installations. A part of the generated money goes to the project ‘Baumpension’ (retired tree) or ‘Naturfreikauf’ (nature retrieval) by the Naturschutzbund Austria, which protects old dying trees as habitat for fungi, moss and insects.

realLimited – general description
Inspired by limited editions, the project realLimited connects limitation back to realistic facts. It is about limite editions that reflect limitations in reality: untouched nature, maintained traditions, old craftsmanship, languages and dialects… The main idea is to get inspired from these limitations, to start using and revitalizing them and to encourage their further being or to mirror and interpret the limitation, if use is not directly possible. realLimited should show that Design can be functional and beautiful, not just in an object, but also for the idea it stands for. The realLimited concept can be applied to several topics as for example: wild nature, old nearly forgotten techniques and craftsmanship or endangered domestic animals, plants and their products. The first executed realLimited-project endangered species are translated into limited editions of products. Each single product, or element of a product, represents one individual being.  A percentage of the money generated by selling the limited editions goes to environmental projects that try to save the selected species. Ideally the editions of products would be re-edited every few years, mirroring the species development. If the population increases in number, the edition does as well.

limitedMoths / catocala conversa in patinated brass

detail limitedMoths, catocala conversa in patinated brass

catocala conversa / image source

patinated brass sheet with laser cut moths, catocala conversa

detailed view of the illuminated lamp, catocala conversa in patinated brass

the illuminated lamp, catocala conversa in patinated brass

first edition limitedMoths / murumba quercus in copper

marumba quercus / image source

detail of the first limitedMoths, murumba quercus in copper

detailed view of the illuminated lamp, murumba quercus in copper

A rare Austrian moth species is portrait in a specific metal. As a huge swarm, the moths are flying towards a light bulb.

the wings are bent, that the moths look more natural

rivetting of the first limitedMoths, murumba quercus in copper

limitedMoths / hypomecis danieli in sandblasted stainless steel

detail of limitedMoths, hypomecis danieli in sandblasted stainless steel

hypomecis danieli / image source

whole wall lamp, hypomecis danieli in sandblasted stainless steel

Each moth is numbered and represents one moth left in reality. Each swarm is unique.

detailed view of the illuminated lamp, hypomecis danieli in sandblasted stainless steel

limitedMoths / pyrois cinnamomea in sandblasted copper

detail of one limitedMoth, pyrois cinnamomea in sandblasted copper

pyrois cinnamomea / image source

detailed view of the illuminated lamp, pyrois cinnamomea in sandblasted copper

water jet cutted moths, pyrois cinnamomea in sandblasted copper

front view of the lamp, pyrois cinnamomea in sandblasted copper

limitedMoths / trigonophora flammea in patinated brass

detail of limitedMoths, trigonophora flammea in patinated brass

trigonophora flammea / image source

laser cut moths, catocala conversa in patinated brass

  • material

    brass (laser cut, patinated, handrivetted)
    copper (laser cut, handrivetted, sandblasted)
    stainless steel (laser cut, handrivetted, sandblasted)

     

    electronics for lamp

  • dimension

    core lamp: 65 x 30 x 35 cm

    whole installation with single moths: approx. 120 x 100 x 35 cm

  • links

  • production

    limited edition,
    varying between 4-5 lamps per species – depending on the estimated single specimen still left in Austria

  • team

    Katharina Mischer, Thomas Traxler, Maria Bauhofer, Anais Bourcier