news
  • ongoing
    exhibition

    MAK Design Lab at the Museum of applied Arts in Vienna. Within the permanent Design exhibition one can find a few of our projects like 'the idea of a tree', 'limited moths' or 'LeveL.

    MAK Design Lab

  • 15.September 2023 - 21. July 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

  • 15.3.2024 – 13.10.2024
    exhibition, new project

    "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

the idea of a tree – objects

objects created with a semi-autonomous machine combining natural input with a mechanical process

  • year ongoing since 2008

  • categories Processes / Machines & Their unique Results
    Products & Furniture

  • commissioned by

    self-initiated

the idea of  a tree is a production process which uses the natural input of the sun with a mechanical process. This creates unique objects that represent the sun’s intensity of the day and place of production. The correlation between input and output makes the changes visual and readable. The product becomes a three-dimensional ‘photograph’ of the time and the place where it is produced. After one day of winding the cotton structure can be ‘harvested’ off the machine. A few days, later the dried piece is finished by hand and a label, telling day and place of production, is placed on the evening side of the object.

The length/height of the resulting object depends on the sun hours of the day.
winter = shorter objects
summer = longer objects

The thickness of the layer and the colour is depending on the amount of sun-energy.
more sun = thicker layer and paler colour
less  sun = thinner layer and darker colour

the idea of a tree rocking bench, produced in summer 2016

the label informs about date and place of the production

the idea of a tree sideboard

this bench was made on a rather sunny summer-day in Vienna. The darker part in the middle implies that it was cloudy for a brief period

the idea of a tree bench, made in Vienna in January

two lamps, made in September in Linz, and a bench

While the length or height of a resulting object depends on the sun hours of the day,
the thickness of the layer and the colour depends on the amount of sun-energy.

the idea of a tree lamp, made in Linz in September

examples of two benches

the idea of a tree a rocking chair at home

the idea of a tree rocking chair, made in Torino in November 2011

detail of the wound structure

  • material

    recycled cotton, glue, colour, resin, fiberglass

  • dimensions

    bench and rocking bench
    40 x 40 cm
    length: depending on sun hours, short in winter, long in summer min. 45 cm – max. 100 cm


    lamp
    approx. 40 x 26 cm
    length: depending on sun hours, short in winter, long in summer min. 30 cm – max. 60 cm

     

    sideboard
    60 x 100 cm
    length: depending on sun hours, short in winter, long in summer min. 45 cm – max. 100 cm

  • production

    on request

  • collection

    two lamps and a bench are part of the permanent collection of the
    Art Institute Chicago


    one bench is part of the permanent collection of the Imperial Furniture Collection – Hofmobiliendepot Vienna


    one bench is part of the permanent collection of the Designmuseum Gent

     

    the idea of a tree machine recorder one and two benches are part of the permanent collection of the MAK – museum of applied arts – Vienna

     

    two benches are part of the permanent collection of the Vitra Design Museum