gwenael nicolas: ‘sparks’ for swarovski crystal palace‘chain light’ illuminated image © designboom
during this year’s milan design week, gwenael nicolas of japanese design studio curiosity, presented ‘sparks’, an installation for swarovski crystal palace in milan’s zona tortona. nicolas imagined a space where crystals are freed from the draw of gravity. this was executed through his piece ‘chain light’, a 10 meter long string of crystals that was programmed to set off ‘sparks’ which leapt across the room, the gemstones becoming as weightless as air.
gwenael nicolas with his sparkling ‘chain light’ portrait © designboom
detail of the crystal elements which make up the chain image © designboom
light shooting across the chain of crystals image © designboom
detail
‘chain light’ rendering
‘chain light’ rendering
nicolas’ ‘sparks’ also included ‘balloon’, a series of pieces which appeared as if they were ‘non-objects’. free floating, transparent spheres appeared as small floating crystal sculptures lit from within – particles of light and crystal, flying around space.
‘balloon’, objects lit from within floating around
‘balloon’ installation
‘balloon’
gwenael nicolas has been appointed show designer of the upcoming tokyo designers week 2010.
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c’est magnifique!!
“nicolas imagined a space where crystals are freed from the draw of gravity.”, he did not design a space where crystals are freed from the draw of gravity.. Imagining means he used it as a source of inspiration, this is art. Try to follow his thought and see if you can also imagine the crystals to be freed of the draw of gravity, then you understand the beauty in it.
I want to buy one of these! how can I?
obviously, the crystals cannot float in a controlled space.
imagine a dark room, in which crystals are illuminated by a rhythmic pattern
initiated by a computer program.
the darkness was enhanced by the lit crystals,
giving a spatial effect which made them appear as if they were freed from gravity.
having been in the space, the resulting installation I’m sure was very similar to what he imagined.
The renders look much nicer than the outcome!
So he stuck some crystals on a plastic tube, put a light in it, and called it a day. And who is going to hang jagged pieces of glass across their living room?
Right, mr pink, the sparks are actually confined by gravity, not freed — which is rather Einsteinian.
“…imagined a space where crystals are freed from the draw of gravity.” Someone does not understand gravity. A catenary results from the effects of gravity.