mischer'traxler's kinetic mobile lights up the london design biennale

mischer’traxler has designed a kinetic light installation for the london design biennale 2016 as part of the austrian contribution. ‘level: the fragile balance of utopia’ fills a 40 square meter gallery space in somerset house, adopting the metaphor of a mobile for its utopian model of an ‘ideal system’, while simultaneously responding to the historical significance of the site. a delicately balanced pendant object is suspended in the room, reaching its maximum luminosity when in perfect equilibrium. every movement occurring in the space — whether introduced by visitors or unpredictable elements — transforms the light object’s shape and brilliance.

(above) photo by simon scherrer / smolbattfein ©  austria design net
(main) image © designboom

curated by thomas geisler, guest curator mak vienna, and organized by austria design net, the installation seeks to convey austrian design ideals, bringing the thematic discourse together with tradition and innovation. in its consideration of the london design biennale theme of ‘utopia by design’, mischer’traxler constructs a fragile balancing act that takes into account the needs of both individuals and crowds. ‘for us, utopia is an ideal system in which personal freedom is confronted with communal interdependencies, in which ownership needs to be weighed against responsibility, and in which transparency is juxtaposed with privacy,‘ the vienna-based design duo describes of its contribution. 

image © designboom

both the poetic and playful nature of ‘level: the fragile balance of utopia’ abstracts the complex theme of utopia by addressing people’s emotions and senses — regardless of their age, gender or cultural background. ‘far from patronizing visitors, play and contemplation will facilitate identification with their own socio-cultural ideas of utopia – or dystopia’, adds curator thomas geisler.

image © designboom

photo by simon scherrer / smolbattfein ©  austria design net

image © designboom

image © designboom

photo by simon scherrer / smolbattfein ©  austria design net

image © designboom

image © designboom

photo by simon scherrer / smolbattfein ©  austria design net