news
  • 15.3.2024 – 13.10.2024
    new project , exhibition

    "Water Pressure - Designing for the future" an exhibition of the MK&G Hamburg and Jane Withers Studio – looks at the water crisis from a global perspective. We were commissioned to come up with an installation celebrating water. The result "vital rain" is part of the exhibition and will stay permanently in the museums yard.
    more soon

    MKG Hamburg - Water Pressure

  • april 2024
    new project

    For the glassware company Lobmeyr we designed "ident" - drinking set No.287

    Identical shape, identical height - five individual glasses.
    The series was unveilded during Milan Design Week.

    Lobmeyr

  • 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

  • 5.4.2024 - 14.7.2024
    exhibition

    "inWastement" glass series is on show at the Klimabiennale in Vienna at the "design with a purpose" exhibition.

    Klimabiennale Wien

  • 15.9.2023 - 21.7.2024
    exhibition

    HEIMATEN. An exhibition and survey and an attempt to break with conventional takes on Heimat. the exhibition was shown at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G) in 2022. Our specially commissioned piece 'riparian cloud' is now also on show in Molfsee.

    Freilichtmuseum Molfsee

  • 01.06.2024 - 30.03.2025
    exhibition, adapted project

    A utopian insect swarm based on our 'curiosity cloud' developed with 13 children from Dresden swirls during the Kinderbiennale in the Japanische Palais. The participatory process resulted in 24 fantastic, colourful insects.

    Children's Biennale "Planet Utopia"

  • 30.05 2024 - 13.10.2024
    new project , exhibition

    All in! Re-Designing Democracy - Every aspect of democracy has been designed, therefore it can be designed differently. A new "Themis" claims in the exhibition for rights for Nature.

    Bundeskunsthalle

  • 10.05. 2024 - 23.06.2024
    exhibition

    20th anniversary international exhibition and series of events. Our glass project "access" is part of the exhibition.

    design without borders

nocturnal cloud

a chandelier that captures the fascination
for nocturnal insects

nocturnal cloud celebrates a moment in nature and captures the magical fascination that insects have on humans. The luminous piece is a further development of the curiosity cloud installation with a new focus on insects that are active during night-time. Delicate mouth-blown glass globes form a rather big chandelier.
Each glass-bulb houses a small nocturnal insect that is normally found in the Swiss-, and Middle European- region. From a distance, all insects are quiet and calm. As visitors approach the installation, the bulbs close to the observers light up and moths and beetles come to life. They start swirling around and fly inside the glass vessels, thus touching the glass and creating a soundscape.  Additionally to the moths and beetles, fireflies are newly introduced to this version of a cloud.
As well activated by the proximity of the audience, the fireflies start to fly, light up and create a glimmer of moving light. Nocturnal cloud creates an engaging atmosphere and questions the interaction between humans and the natural environment.

main image above showing the insects hanging
calmly in the glass globes,
image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

detail view of the handmade moths in the glass bulbs,
image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

the installation reacts via sensors in the top to the observer and the insects start to flutter, image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

activated by the proximity of the audience, all insects start to fly and the fireflies light up and create a glimmer of moving light, image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

person interacting with the nocturnal cloud, image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

nocturnal cloud is an interactive piece that invites the audience to walk around the bulbs, observe the flying insects and reflect upon nature at night.

person passing by nocturnal cloud, image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

detail of lemonia taraxaci – the autumn silkworm moth,
image credit: Leonard Hilzensauer

moodboard for the project

  • 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 and integrated LEDs for the fire-flies

  • dimensions

    105 x 150cm height between 180 – 260 cm (depending on cable length)

  • electrotechnical development

    Simon Laburda

  • team

    Katharina Mischer, Thomas Traxler, Elisa Polner, Monja Hirscher

  • special thanks to

    J. & L. Lobmeyr for producing the glass bulbs

  • collection

    the chandelier is part of the permanent collection of Mudac